All-Round Glass Inspection: How To Optimize
All-Round Glass Inspection: How To Optimize
All-Round Glass Inspection: How To Optimize
How To Optimize
All-Round Glass Inspection
Contents
1 Introduction
3 Glass-in-Glass Contamination
4 Safety Standards
5 X-ray Technology
10 Conclusion
11 Appendix
12 Glossary
1 Introduction
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
Glass is frequently the preferred packaging material for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers. However, glass
containers are one of the most difficult types of packaging to inspect. Checking for contaminants in a finished
pack is critical to support product safety, as just one glass shard could have catastrophic consequences.
With food and drug safety regulations intensifying, the importance of compliance and traceability through every
stage of a product’s life cycle continues to grow. As a consequence, x-ray inspection is increasingly being adopted
by manufacturers to detect and reject contaminated products from their production lines in order to protect the
welfare of consumers, reduce the risk of product recalls and safeguard their reputations.
This white paper, 'How to optimize all-round glass-in-glass inspection', is intended to support food and
pharmaceutical manufacturers enhance their glass-in-glass detection capabilities. It explores how certain
production processes can increase the risks of glass-in-glass contamination and how manufacturers can
overcome these challenges. The paper provides guidance on the abilities of x-ray technology to detect glass
contaminants in glass packaging and considers the factors that affect detection sensitivity. Included, is a review of
the latest x-ray solutions, available specifically for glass-in-glass detection, to prevent glass contaminated product
reaching consumers.
Made from all-natural, sustainable raw materials, glass is essential to modern life and the only packaging
material generally regarded as safe (GRAS) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With the retail sector
striving to be eco-friendly, glass is rising in popularity as it is relatively inexpensive and 100% recyclable.
Prospects for the incremental growth of glass will be driven by developing regions such as Asia-Pacific and
Latin America. Rising population and income levels in these regions are largely behind this outlook but existing
returnable systems for glass bottles will continue to play a key role.
No other packaging material matches the shelf impact of glass. The clarity, shape, and feel of glass containers
contribute to the premium perception of products, ranging from fine perfumes to liquor, foods to beverages. In
addition, research from the BGMC demonstrates that 70% of consumers believe glass packaging suggests
quality.
Food manufacturers regularly use glass containers for a wide range of applications, including infant foods,
cooking sauces, condiments, vegetables, pickles, beverages, oils and dressings, to name just a few (Figure
1). Glass is equally popular with pharmaceutical manufacturers who use vials and glass bottles to package
medicines.
Figure 1: Glass containers are used for a wide range of food applications
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3 Glass-in-Glass Contamination
Despite its popularity, glass packaging poses a significant safety risk and the effects of glass-in-glass contamination
can be highly damaging. Finding a shard of glass in a product is an emotive subject. It has the potential to be an
intrinsic contaminant. Evidence shows customers are much more likely to lodge a complaint than if they discovered a
chicken bone in a chicken-based product.
A tiny fragment of glass can cause serious injury to a consumer. The subsequent adverse publicity (particularly if
a baby or child was severely cut), combined with the high cost of product recalls, can have a devastating impact
on business. Not only do product recalls mean lost revenue and a damaged reputation, evidence shows that
manufacturers’ greatest asset, their brand, may never recover.
Corporate reputations have become increasingly fragile as more and more consumers take advantage of social
media platforms to complain immediately if a product fails to live up to their expectations.
The probability of breakages leading to contamination is further increased on high-speed bottling lines.
4 Safety Standards
Nowadays it is not enough to merely say you take product safety and quality control seriously, you have to prove it.
With retailers’ brands and reputations dependent on the delivery of completely safe products, the demands to know
more about manufacturers’ packaging safety processes and product safety is now a ‘big business’. Many well-known
brands have already integrated product inspection systems into their production lines to demonstrate due diligence
and verify that their products conform to the highest standards.
Some major retailers and the custodians of leading consumer brands have developed their own codes of practice that
must be fulfilled, and adhered to, in order to satisfy supply agreements. Increasingly, the implementation of a formal
x-ray inspection program is expected before supplier approval is granted.
In addition, x-ray inspection technology is widely acknowledged to provide an all-encompassing, reliable solution
to help manufacturers comply with national and international legislative and regulatory standards. Such as the
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC). Plus meeting
management systems such as Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Points (HACCP) and GMP (Good Manufacturing
Practice).
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5 X-ray Technology
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
The earliest glass-in-glass x-ray inspection systems became available in the 1980s and were large units with
quite basic inspection techniques. Over the last 30 years, the hardware and, most importantly, the software has
radically advanced to offer automatic, optimized contamination detection with minimum false rejection on high-
speed production lines.
As well as being detecting glass and other contaminants, including metal, calcified bone, mineral stone and high-
density plastic, modern x-ray systems are multi-tasking defenders of product and brand quality. In a single pass,
at high line speeds, x-ray systems can perform several inspection tasks simultaneously. This helps to protect
profitability, minimize product waste and avoid product recalls. Other capabilities include, monitoring fill levels,
detecting damaged containers and checking closures.
Glass containers are indisputably one of the most challenging types of packaging to inspect, mainly because
the primary contaminant is the same material and density as the packaging. The density of the glass packaging
material can cause problems. The base, sidewalls and neck of glass jars can all cause blind spots - an
obscuration of the visual field. This means key parts of the product/packaging have the potential to mask
dangerous contaminants. However, x-ray inspection solutions are available, which are designed to specifically
overcome these challenges.
However, the process used to produce glass jars creates variation and inconsistencies in form. While the overall
weight and outer shape of the jar remain constant from the mould, the varying thickness of the glass walls,
and particularly the distribution of the inner raised base, can be as much as 20%. This makes contamination
detection particularly challenging. In addition, other physical anomalies, such as molten beads or internal strands
of glass known as ‘bird swings’, cause risks and challenges for inspection.
Impurities in the glass itself, such as metal contaminants from aluminum screw caps or fragments of denser
Pyrex from recycled domestic glass, will affect contamination detection.
Using glass containers from various suppliers can also prove troublesome for manufacturers. Despite containers
looking identical physically, their different densities and chemical compositions affect x-ray absorption and
detection sensitivity.
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6.3 Container features
The more complex the shape of the container, the more challenging it is to inspect. Round containers are the easiest
to inspect. This is because they have no sharp changes in vertical edge profile which could produce blind spots or
hard, dark edges where detection would be reduced. Additionally, they can be consistently presented as they have no
orientation effect. Square, rectangular or hexagonal containers can also be (guided) presented well. However, the side
walls may require significant filtering, depending on the angle of inspection. Oval containers are difficult to guide and
therefore not ideal for x-ray inspection as the image can constantly vary. Embossing on the glass creates areas of
higher absorption and requires exact repeatable presentation.
The lid area of a jar can prove particularly complex as it contains the metal closure and glass screw threads. These
features, combined with variations in glass thickness in the jar’s shoulder and natural variations in the physical
profile of the container, contribute to making glass jar inspection a challenge.
Factors that affect the specification for an x-ray inspection machine include the application, installation environment,
desired sensitivity, best practice and accepted codes of practice. Time devoted to selection will be rewarded by
smooth installation, avoidance of major modifications after integration, maximum operational efficiency and ease of
verification testing.
Various x-ray systems are available for glass-in-glass detection, including systems with single beams, split beams,
combination beams and angled beams.
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7.1 Horizontal beam systems
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
Horizontal beam x-ray systems are best suited to glass-in-glass inspection. A key factor in detection sensitivity is
the depth of product the x-rays have to pass through. Horizontal beam systems usually offer better detection for
packaged products that are taller than they are wide.
Multiple x-ray generators and detectors can be used in the horizontal plane or combined with an additional
generator and detector in the vertical plane.
Each image represents a different viewing angle, thus Figure 5: Split beam x-ray system
increasing the coverage inside the container and the
probability of detection.
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Contaminants located on the side wall on one image appear nearer the centre of the pack on the other image, which
makes contaminants easier to detect.
A fragment of glass is never a perfect cube or sphere, it is a shard or an irregular shape. The more contaminant that
lies in the path of the x-ray beam, the more product is displaced by denser material which makes it easier to detect.
When inspecting the same jar simultaneously from two different angles, the chance of shard detection increases.
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8 Transport System Designs
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
A number of designs for transport systems are available. For optimal glass-in-glass inspection, the following
features are recommended. Other options are available for different applications.
8.1 Shielding
Most x-ray systems use tunnel curtains that hang in
the entry and exit apertures of the machine to shield
the x-ray dose from personnel. However, the removal
of curtains is customary on horizontal x-ray beam
systems as they can provide a level of resistance
to containers passing through. A simple solution to
controlling emissions involves side-to-side transferring
of product by offsetting the x-ray system from the
main production line. The direct line of sight to the Figure 10: Offsetting the x-ray machine from the main
production line removes the direct line of sight to the primary
primary x-ray beam is then removed (Figure 10). x-ray beam
Extended in-feed and out-feed tunnel guards also remove the need for curtains and enable jars to pass smoothly
through the x-ray system, negating possible jams.
As the belt absorbs a small amount of the x-ray and is part of the final captured image, its material must be
low density and as thin as possible, yet still strong and durable. Specialist x-ray transparent modular belts are
available, which are suitable for high-speed, highly-abrasive glass container lines. These offer robust conveying,
smooth transfers and easy maintenance without reducing detection capability.
Angled beam x-ray systems incorporate adaptive software which allows the system to run with a durable belt.
This prevents wear and tear, reducing downtime.
For jar and bottle inspection on horizontal beam systems, an in-line transfer can be difficult as the containers are
unstable and tend not to self-transfer across dead plates. Unless special handling devices are used for in-line
transfers, containers will fall over or lose pitching. A common method of transfer for these containers is a side-to-
side transfer from the main conveyor line onto the x-ray conveyor line and back again.
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8.5 Automatic reject systems
Poor design and ineffective reject systems are probably the weakest link in most detection systems and can lead to
contaminants not being removed from the line.
A correctly specified machine should be effective and capable of rejecting all suspect containers under all
circumstances. Irrespective of the frequency of occurrence or the location of the contaminant inside the pack.
A number of different reject systems are available and choosing the correct reject system depends on several factors:
• Type of environment
• Belt speed
• Weight and size of the container
However, these are specialist applications and the x-ray system provider should be consulted at the design stage, as
having the correct reject system is critical to a complete system solution.3
Glass container thicknesses can vary by 20%. Dynamic filtering overcomes this issue by changing to suit the profile
of each and every single container, to optimize sensitivity and minimize false rejects.
Angled beam systems negate the need for scrolls, tilting or rotating. However, the beam configuration allows
containers to run touching, enabling high-speed inspection of up to 1,200 containers per minute. In addition,
simplified, adjustable full length guide rails provide quick and easy product set-up and consistent product
presentation into the x-ray system.
1For further information on automatic reject systems please see the latest white paper 'How to Choose the Right Reject System'
https://www.mt.com/global/en/home/library/white-papers/product-inspection/PI-Reject.html
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9 Product Testing Procedures
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
Testing the performance of x-ray inspection equipment is an essential part of any well-designed quality
management system in the food or pharmaceutical industry. For accurate and repeatable results when using test
samples, the density of the glass sample should be known and compared to the density of the glass container
being used on the production line.
Problems may arise if a high-density glass sample is used for testing, but the actual jars and bottles used
in the production line (which are likely to be the main source of glass contamination) are made from lower-
density glass. In this case, the glass test piece would be detected, but not the container glass, giving a false and
unreliable result. Good practice is to use soda-lime glass as it is the most prevalent type of glass and as close as
possible to domestic container glass.
Designed specifically for use with x-ray systems, test samples provide the means of verifying performance
standards are being met and are available in a variety of sizes and carriers. Test pens are ideal for testing liquids,
slurries and semi-solids. They can also be used in verification procedures to support compliance with ISO
certification requirements, country specific retailer codes of practice, HACCP, HARPC and GMP standards.
Although in theory a test sample should be placed in each area, in practice it is not feasible to make up such
complex test jars. It is recommended therefore that
producers and packers of products in glass containers
primarily check in the corner of the base and on the
side walls in the body area.
10 Conclusion
Glass packaging continues to rise in popularity. The risk of glass-in-glass contamination, combined with
increasingly stringent safety regulations worldwide, mean it is more important than ever for manufacturers to have
x-ray systems that offer the most sensitive product inspection.
The base of glass jars has traditionally presented a challenge for x-ray inspection systems. However, innovations
in technology mean systems can now deliver all-round inspection of a wide-range portfolio of food, beverage and
2 For further information on product testing procedures, please see Appendix, 'Setting the Critical Limits', which outlines the
recommended protocol for glass-in-glass testing.
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pharmaceutical products and their containers.
Choosing the correct system is fundamental. X-ray inspection equipment cannot solve contamination or production
problems unless each element from beam angle to reject mechanism has been chosen correctly to fit the line and
product.
An understanding of factors that affect detection sensitivity, in addition to the various formats and their suitability for
different types of detection challenges, is crucial. This allows manufacturers to specify a system that provides the best
detection in order to stay ahead in the most challenging food and pharmaceutical industries.
11 Appendix
11.2 Setting-up
• Manufacturers should be prepared to provide the x-ray supplier with clean (uncontaminated) packs of each
different product to be tested. A minimum of 30 clean packs are required.
• The x-ray system should be set at the same belt speed as the real production line.
• It is best to focus on one product at a time.
• The x-ray supplier will pass the different clean packs through the machine to ‘learn’ the product. The ‘learn’ is
when the system measures the maximum levels of contrast change (difference in pixel absorption values) on the
x-ray image and sets the limits of detection and rejection.
• The 'learn' on modern x-ray systems is usually extremely accurate, but the system can also be manually tuned
for improved detection – this is called 'optimization'.
• Optimization involves setting the limits tighter so they are better suited to a particular contaminant. Then make a
short pass of packs prepared with this contaminant to verify what can and cannot be reliably detected.
• Use calibrated test pieces, of the expected size of detection, to determine if the setup is in the right zone. It is
important that manufacturers’ specific contaminants are also used, with a small sample test run.
• Once detection optimization is complete, the x-ray supplier should pass 25 different clean packs of the same
product through to ensure zero false rejects are recorded.
• Testing can then commence, ideally with no further adjustment to the settings.
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• During a competitor comparison test, the same test spheres should be used to test all competitors’ machines,
How To Optimize All-Round Glass Inspection
especially glass test spheres. Glass spheres from the same category e.g. soda lime glass can exhibit very
different absorption levels. Even if the size and density are similar, the chemical composition or mineral
content can have a large impact on the size of sphere detectable. For soda lime glass, both low mineral and
high mineral content spheres are widely available. Due to its higher x-ray absorption, smaller physical sizes
of the high mineral content soda glass can be detected. For that reason types of glass sphere to be used
should be discussed with the x-ray supplier and all factors considered for the glass test spheres selected for
testing.
• It is recommended that the glass test pieces are made of the container glass as this glass type is most
representative of a possible contaminant.
• In addition to calibrated glass test spheres, it is recommended that manufacturers try some irregular-shaped
glass fragments. These will provide the greatest challenge to inspection software tools that have been
optimized for spherical test pieces. In a real production environment, a glass contaminant is unlikely to be a
perfect sphere, it will be a shard. On testing, the dimension of glass fragment directly in the path of the beam
(depending on the orientation of the fragment), should be the size recorded as the detectable limit.
12 Glossary
Sources
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Notes
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METTLER TOLEDO Product Inspection
The Product Inspection Division of METTLER TOLEDO is a leader in the field of automated inspection technology.
Our solutions help to increase process efficiency for manufacturers while supporting compliance with industry
standards and regulations. Our systems also support the production of improved product quality which helps to
protect the welfare of consumers and reputation of manufacturers.
Disclaimer:
Information contained in this publication is provided "as is" and without warranty. METTLER TOLEDO disclaims all
warranties, express or implied, and makes no warranty regarding the accuracy or applicability of the information
contained in this publication, and is therefore explicitly not responsible for any damage, injury or death resulting
from the use of or reliance on the information.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed for any purpose without written permission from
METTLER TOLEDO.
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