• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Call Us 1-856-234-3626 sales@ackleymachine.com service@ackleymachine.com Visit Our Virtual Booth! Facebook icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon
Ackley Machine Corporation Logo

Ackley Machine Corp

  • Machines
  • Capabilities
  • Industries
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
Hide Search
Home › Resources › Ask an Expert: Fluorescence Vision Systems

Ask an Expert: Fluorescence Vision Systems

By Jonathan Bry, Ackley Machine Corporation

What is a Fluorescence Vision System?

In-short, a fluorescence vision system is an automated inspection environment.

Why Is It Important?

Softgels have never been inspected for shell integrity, logo quality, leakers, fill-level, seam presence, and cross-linking, at the end of their labeling process – and yet they contain medicine! All of these factors affect not only the advertising logo of the manufacturer, they affect the performance of medicine delivery. It’s important to get on board with this now because regulations only increase as time goes on and are only added to products after it is proven that these things can be inspected. Regulations are driven by science and capabilities – not the other way around.

How Does Fluorescence Vision Work?

The reason this solid dosage has not been inspected in the past is because of difficulty in the most ubiquitous inspection method – visual inspection. 

Typical Vision Inspection Workflow:

  • Light source emitted from machine
  • Emitted light bounces off of the solid dosage 
  • Light that bounces off the solid dosage and is detected by the sensor within the camera on the vision system

Softgels appear reflective, specular, translucent, or clear in a wider range than other solid dosages but the physical principle of light reflection is not used by Ackley’s seamless technology so it is not crippled by this shortcoming. The range of diffuse and specular reflections creates an image that is impossible to focus without saturating the camera sensor and losing data.

Ackley’s Seamless Technology Workflow:

  • Short wavelength Light is emitted from the machine (at acceptable levels for regulation compliance)
  • Solid Dosage converts the light into longer wavelength light due to material properties of the shell
  • Solid Dosage emits longer wavelength light uniformly toward camera on vision system
  • Filters on camera lens exclude all light except the uniform longer wavelength

Why Does This Work?

Regardless of the surface quality/finish, the constant concentration of fluorescent agents in pharmaceuticals yields a constant emitted intensity bounded by a material’s quantum yield. Which is consistent compared to the variations caused by specular reflection and translucence normally seen by “white light” imaging systems. By isolating this constant light intensity (which can be done since it is a different wavelength than the exciting light AND the ambient light) a consistent surface quality can be seen regardless of surface finish.

To learn more about Ackley’s advanced Fluorescence Inspection for Soft Gelatin Capsules and to find out if it’s right for your bulk products, contact our sales team today!


Jonathan Bry is a mechanical engineer at Ackley Machine Corporation, Moorestown, NJ.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn

Our Capabilities

Ackley Capabilities - Laser Drilling Featured Image

Laser Drilling

For controlled release tablets
Read More
Laser Marking Capabilities Featured Image

Laser Marking

For tablets, capsules and softgels
Read More
Solid Dose Printing and Laser Marking

Capsule & Tablet Printing

For tablets, capsules and softgels
Read More
Confectionery Printing

Confectionery Printing

For confections of all shapes and sizes
Read More
Vision Inspection

Vision Inspection

Patented inspection with single product rejection
Read More
NIR Inspection Osmotic Drug Delivery System Tablet Spill

NIR Inspection

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Controlled Release Tablets
Read More
Seamless Laser Marking

Seamless Laser Marking

Improve imprinting on softgels through advanced inspection.
Read More

Upcoming Events

View all events
Events & Trade Shows

Events & Trade Shows

Check out our upcoming and recent events. Get in touch to schedule an appointment!


View

Footer

Pharmaceutical Printing Machines

  • VIP Printer
  • Adjustable Angle Ramp Printer
  • Cantilever Ramp Tablet and Capsule Printer
  • Servo Drum Printer

Laser Drilling & Marking Machines

  • VIP Laser Drill + NIR
  • VIP Laser
  • Cantilever Ramp Laser
  • R&D Laser
  • Servo Drum Laser Drill

Capabilities

  • Laser Drilling
  • Laser Marking
  • Capsule & Tablet Printing
  • Confectionery Printing
  • Vision Inspection
  • NIR Inspection

Industries We Serve

  • Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
  • Nutraceutical Industry
  • Confectionery Industry

Our Company

  • Sign Up for Our Newsletter
  • Innovation & Patents
  • Careers
  • Worldwide Service
  • Events
  • FDA & CE Compliance
  • FAQs
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Impressum
  • Disclaimer

Ackley Machine Corp

Ackley The Leader in Pharmaceutical Printing, Laser Drilling and Vision Inspection Machinery
Copyright © 2023 Ackley Machine Corporation • 1273 North Church St. #106, Moorestown, NJ 08057 • (856) 234-3626

Ackley Facebook Ackley LinkedIn Ackley YouTube

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
0
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
0
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to optimize our website and services. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
0
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
0
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}