Plastic molds for chocolate are ­subject to heavy wear and tear due to thermal and mechanical stress. However, any chips that break off must not contaminate the products. In order to address this issue, Bi-Ber has been developing image processing systems for reliable control of empty forms and now presents a new solution with greatly improved accuracy, which for the first time enables the full 3D detection of forms with a single camera.

The all-new 3D profile system is still based on the laser triangulation sensors that are conventionally used for this testing task. These sensors, though, are prone to high noise due to the small angle between the ­camera and the laser line. Bi-Ber has therefore introduced multiple mirrors in the camera’s field of view. This achieves profile shots with a much reduced ­angle and a significantly improved resolution. The separate deflection of the beam paths allows the capture of images from two perspectives. As a result, there are no areas in the alveoli that cannot be captured visually. With scanning speeds of 2.5 m pixels per second, the system is ideally ­suited for fast production processes.

Compared to a conventional solution with two cameras that require time-consuming and therefore costly synchronization, this surveillance system is much more economical and much easier to set up. Several sensors installed side by side can monitor any belt width. Test parameters can be very specifically adapted to custom requirements to monitor volume or roundness, straightness or distances and angles between surfaces, edge profiles or individual spots. Thanks to the mirrors that ­enable flat viewing angles, these new systems feature a very low-profile construction with variable external ­dimensions. This compact and ­manageable size greatly simplifies retrofits in existing systems.