Colour vision sensor designed for product traceability
traceability regulations in place throughout Europe and North
America, its manufacturer claims.
Sick says its new CVS4 is the first true optical character recognition sensor (OCR) on the market. It provides detection and verification of date codes and lot codes using a sensor.
The sensor can read up to 60 characters on six lines. The CVS4 also automatically updates itself for expected date code changes with an onboard real-time clock.
The CVS4 is suited for applications in the food and beverage market where expanding regulations call for better traceability on products, Sick stated in a press release.
The CVS4 is part of a new line of colour vision sensors launched by Sick this month. The CVS family includes the CVS1 Easy, CVS2, CVS3 and the CVS4.
"Because they are sensors, the CVS family provides a more cost-effective solution for applications that would otherwise require more complicated and expensive vision systems," Sick stated in a press release.
A vision sensor combines the simplicity of a sensor with the technology used in more sophisticated vision products. Colour-based vision sensors are useful for a variety of tasks. These include measuring the area of a learned colour, detecting the presence or absence of colour, the identification of products based on colour and colour matching.
The CVS1 Easy allows the user to detect and distinguish between up to eight colours. It can also monitor larger areas from longer ranges than standard color sensors, Sick claims.
The CVS2 extends the capability of the CVS1 Easy. The CVS2 allows the user to detect and sort between 15 customer-defined colours. The CVS2 can sort between all colors stored in the sensor. It can also use a computer to upload and download settings to the sensor.
The CVS3 can check shapes. The CVS3 searches the field of view for the shape or contour imput into the machine by a user. The CVS3 can store up to 15 different setups.
US-based Sick has operations or representatives in 65 countries worldwide.
Last year the EU enacted laws on traceability. The law harmonises the bloc's requirements on the traceability of food products, the withdrawal of dangerous products from the market, operator responsibilities and requirements applicable to imports and exports.
The mandatory traceability requirement applies to all food, animal feed, food-producing animals and all types of food chain operators from the farming sector to processing, transport, storage, distribution and retail to the consumer.
All information on the name, address of producer, nature of products and date of transaction must be systematically registered within each operator's traceability system. The law requires the information to be kept for a period of five years and on request, it must immediately be made available to regulators.
