Producing products of high quality is one thing ‒ maintaining the quality of all products is another. Several stages are involved in the manufacture of endodontic instruments. Although precision machines ensure the perfect execution of every task, human error cannot be completely ruled out. Machines are configured and operated by people, and they simply do what people tell them to do. It is, therefore, extremely important to have a permanent quality control system in place which automatically detects errors and responds to them appropriately.

With this in mind, VDW installed one of the most modern camera monitoring systems. High‑resolution video technology combined with intelligent software adapted to each specific task was integrated into the final production stage. In the automated packaging system for blister packs and cassette packaging, the instruments are checked precisely for irregularities. If an irregularity is detected, the system responds automatically to remove the packaging unit concerned and generates an error message for evaluation.

The check is carried out in different stages. A colour camera records the colours of the plastic handles, the coloured markings on the instruments and the colour of the silicone stoppers. Next, a black and white camera captures the shadow of the instrument contour. This shadow is then precisely measured and identified, based on a range of specific instrument parameters. Another camera checks the barcodes on the labels of the blister packs. Finally, the software compares all the data recorded by the cameras with the packaging order in the system. The likelihood of a quality defect, or of incorrect packaging content, is thus practically eliminated.

11.04.2014