The Eurecat technology centre and Gràfiques Manlleu, a leader in paper labelling for food products, have developed a new technological solution combining photonics, artificial intelligence and computer vision which makes it possible to automatically spot differences in patterns and identify irregularities in labels, thus helping to reduce costs and production time.
The solution designed by Eurecat for Gràfiques Manlleu is a system of three artificial intelligence-powered cameras which enables detection of errors on the spines and front of labels by capturing and analysing high-precision images recorded in real time where trained algorithms ensure optimal product quality.
“Combining photonics and artificial intelligence means Gràfiques Manlleu can warrant the quality and reliability of the end product, making it more competitive in a constantly evolving sector,” says Jordi Contijoch, CEO at Gràfiques Manlleu. “This quality control at the end of the process is designed to guarantee zero errors in deliveries and ensure product quality.”
“This technological breakthrough to make Gràfiques Manlleu more competitive shows that by embracing disruptive technologies, small and medium-sized enterprises can improve their domestic and international positioning and competitiveness,” adds Xavier López, Eurecat’s Chief Operating and Corporate Officer.
“In this case, we fully grasped Gràfiques Manlleu’s needs and saw that by combining our capabilities in photonic technologies and experience in applying artificial intelligence, we could develop a highly effective solution,” notes Xavier Plantà, Director of Industrial Technologies at Eurecat.
To fast track innovation processes and make businesses more competitive, Eurecat “offers companies a wide range of labs, infrastructure and expert knowledge in state-of-the-art digitalisation technologies,” points out Patrícia Arcos, project coordinator for the Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics node which Eurecat leads as a partner of the Digital Innovation Hub of Catalonia (DIH4CAT).
The development of the new automatic control system for Gràfiques Manlleu has been made possible by the Digital Innovation Hubs Support Programme (PADIH), which aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises accelerate their digital transformation and adapt to new advanced technologies, in this case based on a proposal from Eurecat, as part of the Digital Innovation Hub of Catalonia (DIH4CAT).
The Digital Innovation Hubs Support Programme (PADIH) is an initiative by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism and EOI Business School with funding from the European Union – NextGeneration EU, Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and the backing of ACCIÓ.
