Quality Assurance Station  

Developed in collaboration with Extru-Tech, a recognized leader in extrusion technology, our Quality Assurance Station (QAS) represents a significant leap forward in how manufacturers execute and document in-process quality checks.
 

The QAS is a semi-automated measurement and reporting system that pairs cutting edge vision technology with great design to guide operators through the process of measuring product density and piece dimensions. These are two of the most critical quality indicators for extruded food and pet food products. It takes a process that has historically relied on manual measurement, individual technique, and paper-based recording, and transforms into consistent, efficient, and immediately actionable.

Implementing Vision Technology

At the heart of the QAS's dimensional measurement capability is an industrial-grade depth camera that brings precision imaging to the production floor. The development team conducted extensive accuracy testing before finding a solution that accurately measured from the required distance and incorporated an IR filter suited to the station's operating environment.
 

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The station software leverages Intel's existing RealSense libraries, providing a stable and well-supported software foundation. The camera connects and communicates exclusively via Ethernet.
 

The vision technology delivers on two fronts simultaneously:
 

• Color sensor imagery captures a visual image of the product sample
• Dual infrared sensors provide in-depth data, enabling precise dimensional measurement of individual product pieces
   

The station's software then processes this combined data to identify individual product pieces and calculate their dimensions and color values automatically, in seconds.
 

Beyond dimensions, the camera captures product color and includes an image of the kibble directly in the quality report giving operators and quality managers a visual record alongside the numerical data.

Density Measurement

Bulk density is a critical quality metric for extruded products, and it's notoriously sensitive to measurement techniques. The QAS addresses this with a purpose-built approach: a consistent fall distance and a standardized method for scraping the cup are built into the station's process, ensuring that density measurements are repeatable across operators, shifts, and facilities.

Seamless Integration Into Your Quality Process

Marketplace

AlarmLOGIX

BatchLOGIX

BatchMATE

NorthWind QuikLOGIX®

NorthWind PlantLOGIX™

The QAS is designed to fit into your existing operation.
 

The station can operate in standalone mode, where operators manually enter order and product information, or it can integrate directly with a production line via PLC connection to pull this data automatically. After samples are measured, results are pushed to the database and optionally back to the PLC.  The extruder operator immediately sees whether the sample meets specifications, right at the machine.

Additional Features
 

• Operator Guidance Built In: On-screen instructions walk the operator through each step of the measurement process, reducing training time and ensuring the procedure is followed correctly every time.
   
• Scale Check Management: Scale verification checks are prompted on-screen at the appropriate intervals, and the results are recorded to the database and included in the web report.
   
• Trend Visibility: Charts displayed within the application show operators whether measurements are trending up or down over time, enabling proactive adjustments.
   
• Timed Check Reminders: An on-screen timer and banner alert the operator when it's time to perform the next quality check. Keeping sampling intervals consistent without relying on the operator to track time manually.
   
• Multi-Line Capability: A single QAS station can support up to 4 production lines, making it a scalable solution for facilities of varying sizes.
   
• Accessible Reporting: Quality reports are available via web browser on the same network and can be exported to Excel. Making data accessible to quality managers, supervisors, and leadership without requiring specialized software or IT involvement.

The Bottom Line

Quality assurance has always been essential to food and pet food manufacturing. What's changing is the standard for how it's done. Manual, operator-dependent, paper-based processes are giving way to smarter, more consistent, and more connected systems.
 

The Quality Assurance Station, developed in partnership with Extru-Tech, is purpose-built for exactly this moment. It brings the precision, consistency, and real-time visibility that modern manufacturing demands.
 

Interested in learning more about the QAS or scheduling a demonstration? Contact us to start the conversation.

Source: NorthWind