Date-code inspection on wrinkled sachets
A sachet date code can be readable on a flat sample and disappear into a fold on the packing line. A visible code has incomplete printed characters.
Line solution
Test this on your samplesPouch inspection for sachets and flow wraps
// Short answer
Pouch inspection is a camera check of sachets, pouches and flow-wrapped packs after the packing machine: the printed date and batch code are present and readable, the visible seal area is free of trapped product, folds and open edges, and each carton gets the right count. addaScan builds it on HIKROBOT vision sensors, with a line scan camera over the seals in the fuller station. An indicative installed budget for a typical application is R 80 000 – R 930 000 excluding VAT.
// At a glance
The station in three lines
- Faults caught
- Missing or smudged date and batch codes; product in the seal, folds and open seal edges; short cartons
- Configuration
- HIKROBOT vision sensor on the code; line scan camera with encoder over the seals (option); air-jet reject
- Line link
- Digital I/O, or PROFINET or EtherNet/IP where the chosen HIKROBOT device lists it, to the packing machine or cartoner PLC
// Fit & limits
What this station will not do, and what it needs
What it will not do
- Leaks and seal strength: a camera sees the outside of the seal; it does not test whether the seal holds or leaks.
- Inside the pack: contents, fill and foreign bodies inside opaque or metallised film are not seen.
- Mass: pack weight is the checkweigher’s job; the camera does not weigh.
- Barcode grading: reading or verifying the printed code is not a print quality grade.
What makes it work
- Spaced packs: packs separated on the take-away conveyor, not overlapping or shingled.
- Samples: good packs and packs with each fault you want caught, on every film you run.
- Clean optics: a cleaning routine on powder lines, with the lens and light reachable.
- An encoder: for the line scan camera, so images keep their shape at every speed.
// On South African lines
What South African rules ask of a sachet or pouch, and where pouch inspection fits
No South African rule is written for sachets or pouches as such; the general food rules apply to them as to any prepacked food. R146 requires every container to be clearly marked with a batch number so the batch can be identified and traced (R146, reg 11), and a date preceded by “best before”, “use by” or “sell by”, which may not be removed or altered (R146, reg 12). On a small sachet that code is printed on a narrow strip of film at speed, sometimes on the seal itself, and is easy to lose to a dry ink head or a misregistered web.
R638 requires prepacked food to be packed so that it cannot be removed without the seal, wrapping or container being damaged (R638, 2018). A seal that is visibly open, folded or full of product does not meet that, and a camera can see it; a seal that looks right but leaks is a matter for a leak test. Quantity is separate again: the Legal Metrology Regulations require packers who use automatic filling or weighing instruments to take steps to detect incorrect quantities (Legal Metrology Regulations, 2018), which is checkweigher work, while FSSC 22000 asks the sites in its scheme to control quantity by unit as well as by weight and volume (FSSC 22000 v6, 2.5.9(b)). A count of packs into each carton covers the unit part.
The rules set the outcome, not the method. Pouch inspection checks what can be seen from outside the pack, on every pack.
For sachets leaving a VFFS machine, read sachet date-code and seal checks. The guide explains camera placement around film forming and sealing, checks after a film change, and the boundary between visible seal faults and leak testing.
What the packing line reports, and what the station checks
| What the line reports | What a station checks | Where it stops |
|---|---|---|
| “Sachets going out without a date” | Date and batch code present on every pack and read by OCR, compared with the expected code for the shift. | A code printed on the inside face of the film, or hidden in a fold, is not seen. |
| “The code is there but you can’t read it” | Broken, smeared or faint characters, found by verifying the print against the expected string and, in the fuller station, by deep-learning defect detection trained on your code. | Legibility is judged against your samples; it is not a print quality grade. |
| “Powder in the seals” on the VFFS | The visible seal area of each pack is imaged for product trapped in the seal, pleats and folds across it, and an open or cut-off edge. | On printed or metallised film, product inside the seal is seen only where it marks the seal surface; this is tested on samples. |
| “The flow wrap end seals are creased, or the product is in the jaw” | A line scan camera with an encoder images the whole flow wrap pack as it moves, including both end seals and the fin seal. | Seal strength and leaks are not measured; a seal can look right and still leak. |
| “Short cartons at the customer” | Packs counted into each carton at the cartoner infeed, by sensor or, in the fuller station, by a camera. | A camera over a closed or layered carton counts only the packs it can see; counting happens before the carton is closed. |
// The complete solution
Pouch inspection station: hardware, software and installation
Packs leave the sachet packing machine, VFFS or flow wrapper on a take-away conveyor. A vision sensor reads the printed code on each pack; in the fuller station a line scan camera, timed by an encoder, images the seal area. Failed packs are blown off by an air jet, and packs are counted into each carton.
[Schematic]Plan view, not to scale
Swipe sideways to see the whole drawing →
[1]: An encoder on the take-away conveyor times the line scan camera to the belt.
[2]: In the fuller station, a line scan camera with a line light images each pack and its seal area.
[3]: A HIKROBOT vision sensor reads the date and batch code on every pack.
[4]: An air knife on a fast valve blows failed packs into a reject bin.
[5]: Confirms the failed pack left the conveyor.
Hardware
| Component | HIKROBOT example | Role in this station |
|---|---|---|
| Code check | HIKROBOT SC3000 vision sensor: MV-SC3016C (low); MV-SC3050M (high), with OCR and character comparison | Reads and verifies the date and batch code on each pack |
| Seal area (high) | HIKROBOT MV-CL042-91GM 4K mono line scan camera with an MVL-HF2524M-10MP lens and an MV-LTDS-H-600-W line light | Images the whole pack and its seals as it moves, at full resolution along the belt |
| Processing (high) | HIKROBOT VC3000 vision controller (MV-VC3302P) running HIKROBOT VisionMaster with the deep-learning licence | Classifies seal-area images and checks code print defects |
| Count per carton | Photoelectric sensor at the cartoner infeed (low); HIKROBOT MV-SC3016C vision sensor counting packs into the carton (high) | Confirms each carton receives its declared number of packs |
| Lighting | HIKROBOT MV-LLDS-H-600-30-W bar light (low); MV-LRDS-H-160-00-W ring light on the code sensor (high) | Even light on glossy film so the code and seal are not lost in glare |
| Encoder | Local supply: rotary encoder on the take-away conveyor | Times the line scan camera to belt speed |
| Reject | Not HIKROBOT: stainless air knife on a fast-switching solenoid valve, reject guide, bin and confirmation sensor | Removes light packs without stopping the line |
Software and vision tools
| Tool or software | What it does here |
|---|---|
| HIKROBOT SCMVS OCR and character comparison | Read the date and batch code on the vision sensor and compare them with the code expected for the shift. |
| VisionMaster deep-learning defect detection of printed codes | Find broken, smeared or partly missing characters in inkjet or thermal codes, trained on your good and bad codes. |
| VisionMaster deep-learning classification (high) | Sort seal-area images into good, product in seal, fold or open edge, trained on your packs. |
| Counting tools | Count packs into each carton and flag a short or over-full carton to the cartoner. |
| Recipe per product | Code layout, film and seal position per product, selected at changeover. |
Installation and integration
01
Mounting and enclosure
Sensors and camera on rigid brackets over the take-away conveyor, away from powder discharge; covers kept closed and lenses easy to wipe on powder lines.
02
Lighting and shrouding
Glossy and metallised films mirror the light, so lights are angled for each film and shrouded from the hall lights; the line light sits close to the belt.
03
Encoder and tracking
The line scan camera is timed by the encoder so pack length is right at every speed; each pack is tracked from the camera to the air jet.
04
PLC link
Result and reject reason by digital I/O, or over PROFINET or EtherNet/IP where the line PLC uses it and the chosen HIKROBOT device lists it; the count result goes to the cartoner.
05
Reject and confirmation
Air jet with a confirmation sensor and a full-bin signal; if the vision system is not ready, packs are rejected or the machine is stopped, not passed unchecked.
06
Recipes and operator screen
Recipe per product chosen at changeover; a screen shows the last rejected packs with the reason and the image.
// Indicative cost in South Africa
What this station costs, excluding VAT
Indicative budget for a typical application of this kind. Every project involves custom requirements (your products, line speed, layout, PLC and acceptance criteria), so the final price differs from case to case. A firm price follows the sample test.
- Low
- R 80 000
- code check only
- High
- R 930 000
- seal line scan, deep learning and count camera
- Basis
- Typical application of this kind, indicative
- South African rand, excluding VAT
- Prices as at 2 October 2026
- Travel (Gauteng): outside Gauteng quoted separately
// Included and excluded
The low figure is one vision sensor reading the date and batch code, with packs counted by a sensor at the cartoner and an existing reject signalled. The high figure adds an encoder-timed 4K line scan camera over the seal area with deep-learning classification, a second vision sensor counting packs into each carton, and an air-jet reject with confirmation. Line scan work sits outside the standard ranges on the cost guide, which is why it is priced here separately. Multi-lane sachet machines may need more than one camera, priced after the sample test. Changes to your conveyor or packing machine, utilities and VAT are excluded.
Hardware is priced from public list prices converted at the ECB reference rate, plus freight, clearance and margin; engineering at R 900 – R 1 300 per hour. How these ranges are built →
Swipe the table sideways to see the high figure and the basis →
| Cost block | Low | High | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vision hardware (landed, with margin) | R 38 700 | R 293 600 | Low: one SC3000 colour vision sensor and a bar light. High: 4K line scan camera, lens and line light, two SC3000 vision sensors, ring light, VC3000 controller, air knife and fast valve |
| Software licence | R 0 | R 120 000 | Low: none, the vision sensor software is free. High: HIKROBOT VisionMaster licence with deep learning |
| Local materials and reject | R 10 000 | R 95 000 | Low: bracket, cabling, count sensor. High: encoder and mounts, reject guide and bin with confirmation, panel and screen |
| Engineering (recipes, PLC link) | R 21 600 | R 234 000 | 24 h at R 900 to 180 h at R 1 300 |
| Installation, FAT, SAT, training, documents | R 10 800 | R 93 600 | 12 h to 72 h |
| Project management | R 3 600 | R 41 600 | 4 h to 32 h |
| Travel (Gauteng) | R 1 500 | R 6 000 | Outside Gauteng quoted separately |
| Total (rounded) | R 80 000 | R 930 000 | Low: code check only. High: seal line scan, deep learning and count camera |
// Related technology
Which technologies this scenario uses, and why
The technologies behind this station, how much each matters here, and where each is explained in depth.
| Technology | Role | Why it matters in this scenario | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| OCR/OCV of printed codes | Core | The date and batch code on every pack is the most common thing to check, printed small on film at speed. | OCR/OCV inspection |
| Vision sensor (HIKROBOT SC1000–SC3000) | Core | A single SC3000 vision sensor reads and verifies the code at the packing machine without a PC. | Choosing a smart camera |
| Line scan imaging | Supporting | Packs move continuously; a line scan camera with an encoder images the full length of each pack, seals included. | Web and line scan |
| Deep learning (classification, segmentation, DL OCR) | Supporting | Product in the seal and folds vary in shape; classification trained on your packs separates them from good seals. | Rule-based vs deep learning |
| Presence detection and counting | Supporting | The count of packs into each carton supports the quantity declared on the carton. | Presence and counting |
| PLC link and reject with confirmation | Supporting | Sachets are light and fast; an air jet with confirmation removes them without stopping the line. | PLC and reject integration |
// Acceptance
How the station is proven before handover
Every station is accepted on your products, against numbers agreed in writing before the build. How we deliver →
01
Sample test
Packs from each film and product, with good codes and seals and with the faults you see (missing code, smeared code, product in seal, fold, open edge), imaged with the proposed sensor, line scan camera and lights.
02
FAT with challenge packs
Before delivery, marked challenge packs must each be rejected, packs short of a carton must be flagged, and good packs must pass.
03
SAT on the line
On your line at production speed, the challenge packs are run again, and false rejects and escapes are counted over an agreed run of production.
Separate pouch appearance from rigid-tray seal coverage
Flexible pouches can fold, stretch or rotate under the camera. Position the inspection so the agreed seal and code regions are exposed, then validate normal film movement.
| Decision or event | Check or action | Acceptance boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Seal region | Check visible folds, open edges or trapped product | Opaque printing may hide a defect. |
| Variable print | Compare date/batch with the authorised order | OCR confidence is not data correctness. |
| Film reload | Verify the approved printed-film version | A correct code may be printed on the wrong packaging. |
| Pack count | Track visible packs into the carton | Do not infer unseen layers from one view. |
Use a separate rigid-tray scope for exposed tray flanges and lidding. Retain leak/strength testing for the properties that a visual check cannot establish.
// FAQ
Questions about pouch inspection
What is pouch inspection on a packing line?
Pouch inspection is a camera check of each sachet, pouch or flow-wrapped pack as it leaves the packing machine. It confirms the printed date and batch code are there and readable, looks at the visible seal area for trapped product, folds and open edges, and counts packs into each carton. Packs that fail are blown off the conveyor before they are cartoned. It can be supplied as a stand-alone pouch inspection machine on its own conveyor, or added as a station after your existing packer.
Is pouch seal inspection with a camera the same as a leak test?
No. Camera-based pouch seal inspection systems see the outside of the seal: product caught in it, pleats, folds, an open edge or a seal in the wrong place. It cannot tell whether a seal that looks right is strong or airtight. Leak and seal-strength testing is a separate method, usually on samples or with dedicated leak-test equipment. The camera reduces the number of visibly bad seals that reach that point.
How much does pouch inspection cost in South Africa?
An indicative installed budget is R 80 000 – R 930 000 excluding VAT, at 2 October 2026 prices. The low figure is one vision sensor reading the date and batch code, with packs counted by a sensor at the cartoner. The high figure adds a line scan camera over the seal area with deep learning, a count camera at the carton and an air-jet reject with confirmation. A firm price follows a sample test on your packs and films. This is a typical application: every project involves custom requirements, so the final price depends on your products, line and acceptance criteria.
Can one camera cover a multi-lane sachet packing machine?
Sometimes. If the lanes come off side by side and the code is printed in the same place on each sachet, one camera may see all lanes; if they are spread wide or the code is small, more cameras are needed. Lane count, sachet size and code size decide it, so this is settled in the sample test and priced after it.
Where does the camera go on a VFFS or flow wrap line?
After the machine, on the take-away conveyor where packs are separated and lie flat. On a VFFS the pouches drop from the jaws and settle on the conveyor; on a flow wrapper they leave in line. The code sensor and the line scan camera sit there, with the air-jet reject after them and the count at the cartoner infeed.
Sources
- Regulations relating to the labelling and advertising of foodstuffs (R146, 2010), regs 11 and 12 (regulation copy, checked 2026-10-02)
- Regulations governing general hygiene requirements for food premises (R638, 2018) (gazette, checked 2026-10-02)
- Legal Metrology Regulations (GN 877, 2018), regs 137–138 (gazette, checked 2026-10-02)
- FSSC 22000 Scheme Version 6, additional requirement 2.5.9 quantity control (certification scheme, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT Smart Product Catalog 2025Q4: deep-learning detection of spray code character defects on food packaging, p.65 (vendor catalogue, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT MV-CL042-91GC 4K line scan camera (CL series) (vendor product page, checked 2026-10-02)
- HIKROBOT Light Source Catalog 2025Q3: MV-LTDS-H line-scan light, p.3 (vendor catalogue, checked 2026-10-02)
Related:
More line solutions in food and beverage:
Returnable crates →Multipacks →Can ends and dents →Juice box straws →Dairy cups →Bread bag closures →Meat tray labels →Wine labels →Staple food bags →Egg cartons and trays →Bottled water (PET) →Food tray seal inspection →Food packaging version verification →Bakery product vision inspection →Returnable glass bottle inspection →
// Next step
Send us packs with the codes and seals you want caught
Describe the line, the products and the fault. We test on your good and faulty samples and reply with a feasibility note and a budget.
Planning this inspection outside South Africa
Use the country guidance to prepare the line data, interfaces and delivery scope for a project assessed from Johannesburg.
Vision Inspection Systems in Nigeria
A printer signal does not prove the date on the pack. Project scope, references and Johannesburg delivery for Nigeria.
Vision industrielle au Sénégal
For Senegal, choose visible sachet, bottle and carton checks and define the handling of uncertain results. Country guidance in French.