New Roeslein AI camera brings real-time spoilage tracking to canmaking

Roeslein & Associates has introduced the R.U.D.I. AI Vision Camera, a new tool for aluminium beverage and food canmakers designed to track can counts and identify production losses in real time.

The camera expands Roeslein’s R.U.D.I. AI platform, which has previously focused on data management and predictive maintenance. The new product adds visual monitoring to the platform, allowing manufacturers to track cans as they move through different stages of production.

In canmaking, R.U.D.I. AI Vision can count both upright and fallen cans. It can be installed on existing as well as new production lines, helping manufacturers monitor areas where can-movement has not previously been measured. One such area is the movement of cans between the infeed and discharge of the washer.

The company said spoilage between the bodymaker and decorator is a significant source of production loss, but manufacturers have had limited visibility into where those losses occur. The camera uses its image data to identify good and fallen cans and can alert operators when spoilage rises above a set level.

Director of Systems Engineering at the company, Sam Richards, said, “The system doesn’t simply indicate that a spoilage problem exists; it shows exactly where the problem is and enables it to be detected as it’s occurring, rather than only after a considerable delay.” 

The camera is generally installed around the washer, although it can be positioned elsewhere on a production line where accurate counting is needed. It comes as a self-contained frame that sits over the conveyor, allowing it to be added to existing lines without major changes to the production setup.

Production data can be viewed through a web-based dashboard and sent to MES and SCADA systems. This allows manufacturers to review past counts and spoilage trends as well as monitor current production.

R.U.D.I. AI Vision can be configured for a single camera or expanded to cover multiple cameras, production lines and plants. “R.U.D.I. AI was never intended to limit itself to a single application,” said JC Harrison, Partner and Vice President of Systems and Operational Services at Roeslein & Associates. 

He further added, “The concept is to continue building and linking together cameras, data, and predictive tools, so customers get a view of their entire operation and not just one production line.” 

R.U.D.I. stands for “Roeslein’s Unified Data Intelligence,” a name that also honours the company’s founder, Rudi Roeslein. The company is currently working with early-adopter customers to refine the system before its wider rollout.