PPKMARKPPKVision — machine vision for a marking line
Our vision software runs on top of an industrial camera: it reads every DataMatrix that has been applied, grades print quality and inspects the packaging itself. A defective item leaves the belt automatically.
What it is
Software, not a camera
The camera on the line is an industrial unit we source. What is ours is the software: it decides what counts as good and commands the rejector. That is why we tune the inspection logic ourselves, to your packaging and your standard, instead of waiting for an equipment vendor's update.
Reads every code
Not by sampling and not against a specimen: the DataMatrix is checked on every item right after marking — readability, GS1 structure and compliance with Chestny Znak requirements.
Grades print quality
Beyond the fact of a successful read, the camera determines the print quality grade. A code that would be rejected downstream must not leave the line — and it does not.
Inspects the packaging
Seal seams, blister integrity, all tablets present. Deviations from the reference are recognised by a neural network — in the same camera pass that reads the code.
Locates the item
CCD positioning: the camera finds the item or a fiducial mark, computes its coordinates and tilt angle and passes them to the control system — the code lands in the right place even on moving and rotated packaging.
How it works
Inspection runs at line speed, not by sampling
Inspecting every item only makes sense if it keeps up with the conveyor. Hence the hardware accelerator and item-addressed rejection.
Neural network on an accelerator
Frame analysis runs as a neural network on a Hailo AI hardware accelerator: it takes milliseconds, so inspection is continuous rather than sampled.
Targeted rejection
The pneumatic pusher removes exactly the item that passed the sensor with a defect. The verdict is bound to that one unit, so neighbouring items in a dense flow are not touched.
Event log
Every removed item is written to the event log. It is what you use to trace the cause of a defect and to answer audit questions — otherwise automatic rejection becomes a black box.
Our two programs
How PPKVision differs from PPKLink
Both run on the station, and they split the work along the line between the eye and the dispatcher.
PPKVision — the eye of the station
It looks at the frame and issues a verdict on the item: the code was read, print quality is such-and-such, the packaging is intact. It goes no further than the verdict.
PPKLink — the line operator's workstation
It takes the job and the codes from 1C, hands a code to the laser, checks what was read against what was issued, fills the box, prints the label and returns a document to 1C.
They work together
The vision verdict becomes an entry in the code registry and a rejection command. An item with an unread code never reaches the box — aggregation is built only from verified units.
Where it runs
Industries where vision already runs
The task differs by industry: in some the code alone matters, in others so does the integrity of the packaging.
Pharma — code and blister integrity
Seal seams, all tablets present and DataMatrix readability in a single pass. Pharma station · the full case.
Household chemicals — round packaging
Tubes, bottles and painted caps: a smeared code on a cylindrical surface is removed before packing. Household chemicals station.
Beverages — inspection before aggregation
Defects are filtered out BEFORE the product reaches the box: only valid codes go into the pack. Beverages station.
FAQ
Answers before the call
Is PPKVision a camera or software?
Software. The camera on the line is an industrial unit we select for the task and purchase. PPKVision runs on top of it: it reads the frame, issues a verdict on the item and commands the rejector.
What does the camera see besides the code?
Seal seams, blister integrity, all tablets present — whatever your packaging needs checked. It is tuned per item: we set up recognition for your packaging ourselves.
Is inspection continuous or sampled?
Continuous. Frame analysis runs on a hardware accelerator in milliseconds, so every item is checked, not a sample from the batch.
What happens to an item with a defect?
A pneumatic pusher removes it from the belt. The verdict is item-addressed: exactly the unit that passed the sensor is ejected, and neighbours in a dense flow are untouched. Every case is logged.
Will manual inspection still be needed on the station?
Sorting defects by hand is not needed: an item with an unread code or a packaging defect leaves the flow automatically. Causes are traced from the event log, not from a paper note.
Can vision be added to a line that already has marking?
Yes, that is the usual case. During the audit we look at which camera is needed and where it goes, whether there is room for a pusher and how the verdict is passed on — to the accounting system or to the station software.
Can we check our code ourselves, before the audit?
Its structure, yes — and without us. Photograph the code on the pack and upload the image: the page shows the GS1 flag, the GTIN, the serial number and the verification code. The print quality grade cannot be judged from a phone photo — that is the job of the camera on the line. Check a code by photo.
Station quote
Let us scope your line
Only name and phone are required — an engineer takes it from there. You get the station layout, equipment list and price range. Free, within a working day.
Line and equipment already in place, only software needed? PPKLink is sold separately
Want a ballpark figure first? What a station costs