CMC-Kuhnke targets bottle can growth with new inspection station

The can testing specialist said it has received customer requests from South East Asia for an inspection system tailored to the needs of bottle cans.

Market demand ​

This demand comes as use of the format grows in the region for the packaging of caffeine drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.

CMC-Kuhnke has therefore developed the new BCI-1000 to measure critical parameters of bottle cans with threads for caps.

The fully automatic system uses two high resolution cameras to allow beverage manufacturers to take measurements of parameters like thread height and diameter that are crucial to such bottle cans.

Characteristics measured include: can height; skirt height; inner and outer curl diameter; thread height; outer thread diameter; and outer skirt diameter.

Automatic measurement ​

To use the BCI-1000, operators simply have to take a sample bottle and place it into the machine. At the press of a button, the can is rotated automatically and all measurements are taken without contact in a matter of seconds.

Results can be transferred automatically to a plant-wide data collection system or the bottle can inspection station may be used as a stand-alone measurement tool.

CMC-Kuhnke specialises in testing products for metal packaging including food, beverage and aerosol cans. In addition to its range of testing equipment for cans, the company has developed a software suite - Visionary QC - for collecting, maintaining, and reporting measurement data.

The family-owned company has head offices in Berlin and New York as well as regional support offices in Mexico City, Wisconsin US, and Tunisia.