Tethered caps have been mandatory for all non-returnable PET bottles in the EU since 2024. Consequently, the number of closure variants and thus the demands made of inspection technology have increased. KHS GmbH is meeting these new challenges with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). The systems provider has now equipped its proven Innocheck TSI closure inspection unit with an AI-based fault detector.
The obligatory introduction of tethered caps had far-reaching consequences for bottle and beverage producers in the EU. They were forced to find new solutions to continue to meet the high demands made of product quality and protection. This also affected inspection technology, explains Nikita Wall from Labeling and Inspection Technology Product Support at KHS. “Tethered caps were rarely used before the EU directive came into force. Conventional systems thus frequently reach the limits of their capacity where cap inspection is concerned.” What’s more, the large number of bottle and cap design variants processed and increasing line capacities present additional challenges.
