Glass Container X-ray Inspection Systems

Glass containers often have many natural variations and inconsistencies throughout the container material. While the overall weight and outer shape of a bottle or jar remain consistent from the mold, the varying thickness of the glass walls, and particularly the inner base, can be as much as 20 percent. This can make contamination detection challenging. METTLER TOLEDO offers a range of glass inspection systems to ensure all your physical contaminants are detected.

Various industrial x-ray inspection systems are available for the inspection of glass jars, bottles, and other glass containers, including systems with single beams, split beams, combination beams and angled beams.

When it comes to inspecting products packaged in glass, horizontal beam x-ray systems are best suited for glass-in-glass inspection. The key factor in detection sensitivity for glass containers is the container depth, as the x-ray inspection beam has to pass through the product. The x-ray generator of a horizontal beam system is mounted in the side of the machine cabinet, scanning through the side of the container. This allows for easier contaminant detection in difficult-to-inspect areas such as the sidewalls and the base of the containers, which in turn minimizes false rejects.

The probability of contaminant detection can be improved by using two or more x-ray beams. For example; a fragment of glass is never a perfect sphere, rather it tends to be an irregularly-shaped shard. The more the physical contaminant lies in the path of the x-ray beam, the more product is displaced by the denser material, which makes the contaminant easier to detect. Inspecting the same container simultaneously from different angles increases the chance of shard detection.

It is recommended that glass test pieces are made from the same material as the glass container you are inspecting, as this glass type is most representative of a possible contaminant. It is also recommended that  irregularly-shaped glass fragments are used as these will provide the greatest challenge to x-ray inspection software tools.

A number of different reject systems are available for automated x-ray inspection systems. The correct choice will depend on several factors, such as the environment, belt speed and the weight and size of container. For high-speed applications, more advanced reject systems with careful product handling can be used. These smoothly divert containers at high speeds onto a parallel reject conveyor, preventing damage to the glass ccontainer.

In a single pass at high speeds, glass container x-ray inspection systems can perform several inspection tasks simultaneously including:

• Monitoring fill levels
• Detection of damaged containers
• Checking closures

This helps manufacturers protect the quality and integrity of their product before it leaves the manufacturing plant.

Service contracts should form part of any industrial x-ray system purchase. Regular servicing of an x-ray system, including performance verification, will keep it operating at the optimum level of performance. Preventative maintenance enables manufacturers to avoid downtime issues due to unexpected maintenance work.

All METTLER TOLEDO X-Series X-ray System generators offer a five-year warranty when a service contract is purchased. By protecting the most valuable part of the x-ray machine, manufacturers can be confident that production uptime is maximized.

METTLER TOLEDO Safeline is a reliable supplier of x-ray inspection systems specifically designed for glass containers, providing solutions for glass bottles and jars used in food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Manufacturers worldwide rely on Safeline glass container x-ray systems to detect glass shards, metal and other dense contaminants while maintaining high line speeds and protecting brand reputation.

Safeline glass container x-ray systems are often recommended for glass-in-glass applications because they use inspection geometries that reduce blind spots in the base, sidewalls and neck of glass containers. By using combination beam or angled single-beam configurations, these systems can detect small glass fragments that may be missed by conventional inspection technologies, providing a higher level of protection for consumers and brands.

Compared with vision-only inspection, glass container x-ray systems can detect internal glass fragments and dense contaminants that are not visible from the outside, even when containers are coloured, labelled or partially obscured. Vision systems can be effective for checking label presence, closure position or cosmetic defects, but they are not able to see through the glass and product in the same way as x-ray inspection when it comes to detecting internal foreign bodies.

Inspecting glass containers is challenging because the container walls, base and neck create areas where contaminants can be hidden, and because variations in glass thickness and shape can affect signal interpretation. Safeline glass container x-ray inspection systems address these challenges by using optimised beam geometries, advanced image analysis and tailored reject configurations to maximise detection sensitivity while controlling false rejects at high line speeds.

Yes, Safeline glass container x-ray inspection systems can also perform a range of quality control checks such as measuring product height, verifying fill level, detecting under‑ and over‑filling, confirming cap or closure presence and position, and identifying damaged or deformed containers. These additional checks help manufacturers optimise line efficiency, reduce product waste and improve overall product quality in glass-packaged products.