Unless you have x-ray vision, it’s sadly not possible to see inside the finished packages, cans, and bottles on your production line. This is problematic because it’s all too easy for something to go wrong during processing. If a customer finds a stray piece of machinery in their soda can, they’ll either badmouth your company or threaten legal action.
You may not have x-ray vision, but a vision inspection system is the next best thing. Below, learn about the six benefits of vision inspection systems and how installing one can take your business from good to great.
1. Improved Quality Control
Quality control should be a top priority for your company if you want to avoid unhappy customers and costly lawsuits. Here’s how vision inspection systems help with that.
Enhanced Defect Detection
No matter how well trained and eagle-eyed your QA inspectors are, they’re only human. They’ll occasionally miss things on your production line, and those mistakes can range from mildly irritating to ruinous.
Vision inspection systems can find defects that are virtually invisible to the naked eye. They can locate contaminants, cracks, chips, and dents with impressive accuracy. Plus, these systems can even “see” inside of opaque packaging. That’s something even the best quality assurance inspectors can’t do.
Consistent Inspection Standards
Human QA inspections can only take you so far. Inspectors are individuals, so they won’t always inspect your products with the same level of precision every time.
For example, inspector John might do a stellar job finding defects in the morning. But by late afternoon, he’s tired. He misses a few defects, some of which might be dangerous. This level of inconsistency shouldn’t be acceptable for any production line.
One of the biggest benefits of vision inspection systems is consistency in inspection standards. Because these systems are computerized, they don’t make errors like human inspectors.
2. Increased Efficiency and Productivity
Want to speed up operations and make more money for your business? Of course you do, and that’s why buying the right vision inspection system is an absolute must.
Faster Inspection Rates
It’s an age-old problem of working with human QA inspectors: Some are fast but prone to errors, while others catch every defect yet work too slowly for your liking. Why can’t you have an inspection system that’s both fast and accurate?
When you install a vision inspection system, you can! Vision inspection systems can accurately scan hundreds of products in minutes without missing a beat. That means you don’t have to sacrifice speed for accuracy or vice-versa.
Reduced Manual Labor Costs
If you want the best human QA inspectors, they don’t come cheap. Paying for manual labor takes a big chunk of your business’s profits. You don’t like it, but it’s just the cost of doing business, right?
Not necessarily. When you have a vision inspection system doing the bulk of the work, it’s possible to slash your manual labor costs by thousands annually. That automation gives you more money to spend on product research, packaging, advertising, or anything else your business needs.
3. Cost Savings
We’ve already mentioned lowered manual labor costs, but the cost savings don’t stop there. Here are a few more ways vision inspection systems can save you money.
Minimized Rework and Scrap
Few things are more upsetting for business owners than having to rework or trash faulty products. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also cuts into your bottom line.
Vision inspection systems catch small errors before they become bigger, more expensive problems. This means you’ll spend less time putting out fires caused by damaged packaging or loose bits of machinery that end up in your products.
Improved Overall Production Yield
Your production line is only as strong as its weakest link — sometimes, that’s your QA inspection team. A sluggish inspection team can hold up your line significantly. You care about quality, but your inspectors simply don’t have time to go over every product on the line with a fine-tooth comb.
If you want your products to fly off the production line at lightning speed, investing in a vision inspection system is one of the smartest decisions you’ll make. A faster inspection time means more products processed, which directly translates to more profits for you.
4. Enhanced Data Collection and Analysis
If you’re the sort of business owner who loves crunching numbers, you’ll appreciate the data collection features that vision inspection systems offer.
Real-Time Process Monitoring
Vision inspection systems keep tabs on your production line even when you can’t be there for monitoring, allowing you to see what’s happening in real time. This is by far one of the biggest benefits of vision inspection systems.
With a vision inspection system on duty, you’ll instantly know if there’s a defect that your team needs to address. This spares you from costly and time-consuming headaches down the road.
Data-Driven Process Improvement
The best vision inspection systems inspect your products and document many details about every one scanned. You can store this data safely in the cloud or send it to your mobile device via Wi-Fi.
This data is a treasure trove that tells you what’s wrong with your production line and how to fix it. By analyzing it, you’ll be able to identify weaknesses, improve accuracy, and boost your overall processing speed.
5. Improved Compliance With Regulations
It’s all fun and games until someone gets sick from your products or swallows a shard of glass. The last thing you ever want is to give customers a reason to complain about such things. That’s why having a good vision inspection system on your side is a must.
Ensures Adherence to Quality Standards
If you process raw meat, fish, cheese, or prescription drugs, you know that the USDA and FDA take quality standards very seriously. That means you should, too. One misstep could have a USDA agent beating down your door and your production line shut down for the foreseeable future.
With a vision inspection system, you won’t have to worry about product defects that might draw ire from the FDA, USDA, and other regulatory agencies.
Minimizes Risks of Recalls
Recalls are a huge issue for businesses nationwide, and virtually no industry has been spared. In 2024, companies were forced to issue recalls for contaminated lettuce, ground cinnamon, green beans, walnuts, and several types of medication. The most common reason for recalls is contamination from bacteria such as listeria and salmonella, although there have been several recalls due to foreign objects making their way into food.
Here’s a brief sampling of some of the biggest food recalls:
- A dietary supplement company recalled 15 tejocote products after the FDA discovered that they contained the poisonous oleander plant.
- A major cheese producer recalled nearly 10,500 pounds of shredded cheese due to possible listeria contamination.
- A meat packaging company recalled almost 15 million pounds of meat due to listeria contamination. Consumption of the contaminated meat caused 101 infections and 15 deaths.
- A nut producer recalled its bagged cashews due to the potential presence of glass shards.
- A UK chicken producer recalled packages of chicken nuggets because of the possibility that they contained plastic shavings.
Recalls are costly, of course, but they can also do major damage to your reputation. Vision inspection systems can find dangerous problems before defective products end up in customers’ hands.
6. Enhanced Brand Reputation
You want consumers to trust your brand, but that won’t happen if your products are unreliable or downright dangerous. Here’s how vision inspection systems can help boost your brand’s reputation.
Consistent Product Quality
Little Johnny complains to his mother, “This package only has eight cookies in it. There were 10 in the last one!” Johnny is rightfully upset, and so is his mother. Do you think Johnny’s mom will buy your brand of cookies the next time she’s at the grocery store?
When customers buy a product, they like to know they’re getting exactly what they paid for every time. Vision inspection systems eliminate product inconsistency and, in turn, keep your customers happy.
Increased Customer Satisfaction
As mentioned above, reliable product quality is one of the best ways to keep customers fans of your brand for life. So, too, is ensuring that your products don’t contain anything harmful that could injure or sicken consumers.
Think of vision inspection systems as partners in ensuring customer satisfaction. With one, you can stop worrying about contaminants, chipped bottles, or dented cans and focus on making a product that’s sure to put a smile on every customer’s face.
Looking for the Best Vision Inspection System for Your Business? Reach Out to Us!
Now that you’ve learned about the benefits of vision inspection systems, are you ready to take the plunge on a new vision inspection unit for your production line? TDI Packsys has you covered. We offer a variety of vision inspection systems for:
- Cans and bottles
- Small-format products
- Opaque and low-transparency products
- Fill-level inspection
- And more
To learn about any of our vision inspection systems, call TDI Packsys at (877) 834-6750.
