What Is an Automated Integrated Tester? A Guide to Automated Quality Control for Bottled Beverages
An automated integrated tester performs several quality control tests on the same bottle, in one automatic cycle, without operator intervention during the tests. For bottled beverages, it combines tests such as cap torque, weight, cap application angle, secure seal, internal pressure and top load, and sends the results to the quality data system. It can be installed on the line with automatic sampling, or in the laboratory as a semi-automatic system with manual loading.
How does an automated integrated tester work?
The bottles enter the system one by one, for example through a star wheel, and pass from one test module to the next. Each module performs its test and records the result, and the system compares it with the limits set for the product.
On the AT2E ADAITS, the modules can be combined according to the needs of each facility:
Torque: the cap is held by the CapWIS clamping system and the torque is measured by a dual servo system, from 0 to 102.04 kgf·cm (10 N·m), with an accuracy of ±0.5 % F.S.
Weight: an integrated precision balance weighs the bottle, from 0 to 4000 g with a resolution of 0.01 g.
Application angle: the AngleVIS vision system inspects the cap with an AI-based model and measures its application angle, from 0 to 360° with an accuracy of ±1°.
Secure seal and internal pressure: the neck is pierced and leaks are detected automatically, using the water immersion method; internal pressure is measured up to 6 bar on a stand-alone module or up to 16 bar on an integrated one.
Top load: the vertical load resistance of the bottle is measured from 0 to 1500 N, with an accuracy of ±0.5 % F.S.
Main applications
High-speed bottling lines: testing samples at a regular frequency without taking operators away from the line.
Filler monitoring: in its special mode with head number, the ADAITS stores results in the order in which samples enter, so that they can be linked to the filling head they came from.
Laboratory: the same tests on a semi-automatic system, with manual loading of the samples.
Quality data: results sent automatically to a printer, a data acquisition system or AT2E software, with statistics, charts and reports.
Key concepts: operator influence, reproducibility and traceability
Operator influence: in manual tests, results depend on how each operator holds, turns or positions the sample. An automatic cycle applies the same handling to every sample, which removes the influence of the operator and improves reproducibility.
Sampling frequency: an automatic system can test samples more often than an operator, so a drift in the process shows up sooner.
Traceability: the screen shows the product, operator, batch number and sample number of each test, the system records up to 1000 groups of results, and the AT2E software is designed to meet the requirements of FDA 21 CFR Part 11.
Alarms: a buzzer, an indicator light and an on-screen message warn the operator as soon as an abnormal situation occurs.
One sample, many tests
When a blood sample reaches a modern medical laboratory, it is not passed from hand to hand for each test. An automated analyzer runs the whole panel on the same sample, with the same procedure every time, and sends the results straight to the patient's file.
An automated integrated tester brings the same logic to the bottling line: one bottle, a full set of tests, the same handling every time, and results that go directly into the quality records. The tests themselves do not change; what changes is how consistently they are carried out.
Calibration of an automated integrated tester
Each module is calibrated with its own reference, as a stand-alone instrument would be:
Check the torque module with a torque reference, and the balance with certified reference weights.
Check the pressure modules against a certified pressure indicator, and the top load module against a force reference.
Run reference samples through the full cycle, compare the results with their known values, and record and correct any deviation.
Because the modules work in sequence, a calibration schedule that covers every module, and a regular check with a reference bottle, keep the whole system reliable.
AT2E automated testers
The ADAITS combines several tests in one system; AT2E also makes automated instruments dedicated to a single test or measurement:
ADAITS: online automated integrated tester for bottled beverages, with modules for torque, weight, application angle, secure seal, internal pressure and top load.
ADATMV5: automated monopost torque tester with 7 measuring cycles.
SSA-PLUS: automated secure seal analyzer with automatic piercing and leak detection.
AMVT-1: automatic vacuum leak tester with automatic judgment of each sample.
GBBT-AUTO: automated glass bottle burst tester for unattended testing.
PBMS-AUTO: fully automatic preform and bottle measuring system.
ACWD-1: automatic bottle cutting and weighing device for section weight analysis.
FHT-1: automatic fill height tester.
Conclusion
Automation does not change what is measured: torque is still torque, and pressure is still pressure. It changes how consistently it is measured and how quickly the results reach the people who act on them. Calibrated module by module, an automated integrated tester turns quality control from a series of manual checks into a steady flow of comparable data.
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AT2E is an ISO 9001 certified company (AFNOR Certification).
Request a quote: info@at2e.com
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