Off-the-shelf lighting, automation, and machine-vision components check the integrity of beer-barrel seals.
At the St. James Gate brewing plant of Guinness, the company's draught beer is brewed and kegs are filled for domestic, European, and international customers. To fill, check, and ship these kegs at a rate of approximately 1000 kegs/hour, Guinness has fully automated the plant. Recycled kegs are placed on an automated conveyor system, where they go through several operations before they can be reshipped to the company's distributors. After the kegs are washed, rinsed, and sterilized, they are filled with beer through a one-way valve at the top of the keg, known as a spear. To determine whether each keg is properly filled, the kegs are weighed and the seals checked for any leaks before they are finally packaged and shipped from the brewery.
