Case Study

ENERGY DRINKS
PACKAGING:SEALING THE DEAL
Society has become more health conscious, andit has become common to carry a bottle of wateror a health drink in backpacks or sports bags.
As this trend has achieved mainstream adoption,
the market for energy drinks has expandedexponentially.
Consumers tend to base their product selection
on branding, flavour and price. Any thought given
to packaging is generally centred on liking thedesign, and increasingly, the option to recycle thepackaging.

The importance of quality packaging
Whilst energy drink manufacturers respond toconsumer packaging preferences, they also need todeliver robust, fit-for-purpose bottles. At its worst,
sub-standard packaging could lead to productcontamination, posing a serious health risk toconsumers, leading to widespread product recalls.
Less serious, but still of concern to retailers, isleaking products which cannot be sold and need tobe disposed of. Therefore, in order to avoid damage
to reputation and a decrease in market share,
manufacturers are firmly focused on ensuring theirproduct comes in reliable packaging.

The packaging processIn order to ensure quality packaging, drinks
producers commonly outsource the production of
any packaging to specialist manufacturers who taketheir preferred design and create a high quality
finished product. In many instances, packaging is
made using plastic, as this is more durable thanglass or aluminium. In the case of energy drinks,
packaging design will often incorporate a re-sealable
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bottlecap.
Oncethe drinks
manufacturer
receives the bottles andbottle caps from thesupplier they are transferred from goods-in to thepackaging inspection area, where they are visually
examined to ensure fitness for purpose.
In this particular case study we look at theinspection process for the bottle caps.

The bottle cap inspection process
The integrity of the bottle caps is critical inpreventing product leakage, deterioration,
contamination or evaporation and so it is vital thatany defective caps are scrapped before being sent to
the filling area on the production line.
Inspectors are tasked with ensuring that caps will fit
snugly to form a tight seal, whilst still being easy for
consumer to open and reseal. They will also checkthe material rigidity, strength and ageing resistancecapacity. As the inspection process is destructive,
batch checks rather than 100% inspections arecarried out.
During the inspection process operators will place
the bottle caps under a stereo microscope andvisually inspect both the plastic and the seal.
They will be looking for any short shots or colour
variation within the plastic. The plastic must be ofVision Engineering Ltd.

a uniform thickness and free from any abnormal
particles or contaminants. The silicone seal in theflip top is also examined to ensure that it is leakproof. Finally, the grooves on the inside of thebottle cap are checked for consistency to allow fora leak-proof seal when fitted to the bottleneck.
The cap is also cut into cross sections for an
extremely detailed view of the materials used andmanufacture quality and consistency.

A quality inspection system for a quality
bottle cap
Such an important and detailed part of thequality control process requires an exceptional
3D inspection system, such as the DRV-Z1. The
inspection equipment must provide accuracy at thesame time as ensuring efficiency of process and theDRV-Z1 delivers on
both fronts.
The large field of view
allows members of
the inspection team
to view several bottle
caps at one time,ensuring speedy
throughput of items,
whilst the long
working distance makes it simple for operators tomanoeuvre the bottle caps with tweezers,
avoiding risk of contamination
through contact.

As the bottle cap has fine features that need to beinspected, the superb depth perception and highquality 3D image delivered by the DRV-Z1 is ideal
for this particular application. The clarity provided
makes it a simple to spot any defects in the internalgrooves or any minute particles left behind during
the moulding process.
Sub-stage illuminationis also used underthe bottom of thecap, offering an
excellent view of thetransparent elementof the flip top cap
further simplifying
accurate assessmentof both the seal andthe grooves on the inside of the bottle cap.
Furthermore, the ergonomic design of the DRV-Z1
ensures that operators remain comfortablethroughout their entire shift allowing them tomaintain productivity.

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The final steps
Once bottles and bottle caps havepassed all the necessary quality checks,
they are sent to the filling and packaging area on
the production line, which is often automated. At
this point, the drinks product is dispensed into theplastic bottles at a high flow rate and bottle caps are
fitted immediately to seal the containers. Labels arethen placed on the bottles before they are packed
onto trays for shipping.
This case study is based on the inspection process
undertaken by one of our customers, who is anaward-winning energy drink manufacturer.

DRV-Z1 combines the benefits of optical stereo
microscopy with digital technology to give you
natural 3D visualisation with outstanding depth
perception. And you can even share those images in3D HD on other DRV-Z1 displays around the world,
in real time.

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Vision Engineering is a world leader in ergonomic
microscopy, digital 3D visualisation and metrology
solutions. Our DRV-Z1 (Deep Reality Viewer) is aworld first. Unlike any other inspection system,
DRV-Z1 creates stunning 3D HD images which float
in the air. What’s more, you don’t need any virtual
reality headsets or special glasses.

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Vision Engineering Ltd.