Vision Inspection Systems Must Be Lean

By definition, lean manufacturing is an operational strategy that increases value-added work by eliminating waste1. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that over the past years many pharmaceutical companies have applied the concept of lean manufacturing to improve the overall performance and profitability of their packaging lines. So, how have they been getting lean?

To become “leaner”, many pharmaceutical companies have implemented concepts such as smaller production runs and just-in-time manufacturing. These lean concepts eliminate waste through reducing lead times and inventories. Reducing inventories, in turn, further brings down costs for storage and inventory management.

Where else should they look to reduce waste on their packaging lines? Taking a look at the quality and flexibility of the equipment on their lines, especially the vision system, may represent an opportunity to further tighten the belt.

For vision inspection systems to meet today’s lean performance requirements, they must also be lean. For example, the number and complexity of inspections on lines are much greater than they were only a few years ago. To ensure that consistent accurate inspections are carried out under these conditions, vision systems require enhanced, scalable inspection capabilities. Secondly, smaller production runs and just-in-time manufacturing mean more unscheduled product changeovers on lines; therefore, vision systems require quick set up times, while being user-friendly. Thirdly, the increase in the number and complexity of inspections combined with the increase in product changeovers pushes up the vision systems’ required standards even further. These systems must also be flexible and upgradeable across multiple products. If vision inspection systems don’t meet these standards for lean lines, then they are simply a source of waste.

How lean do vision systems really need to go? As pharmaceutical companies continue to modify product packaging by integrating anti-counterfeit devices (eg. RFID tags) and supply line management solutions (eg. 2-D bar codes), the inspection and performance requirements for vision inspection systems will continue to increase. Therefore, working on getting a line leaner is one thing, but staying lean will require a bit of forethought when it comes to choosing the right vision system.

¹ Lean Manufacturing, May 10, 2006,
http://www.answers.com/topic/lean-manufacturing.