If consumers find flat beer when they open their bottles, brewery sales and brand reputation will almost surely decline.  To minimize the number of low pressure (flat) bottles reaching consumers, major breweries in Latin America and around the world have chosen an acoustic on-line inspection system manufactured by U. S. company TapTone. The TapTone II system checks seal integrity at speeds up to 700 bottles per minute, identifying and rejecting those whose pressure falls below acceptable limits.

Grupo Modelo, S.A. de C.V. of Mexico City, manufacturers of Corona and other brands, and Brahma of Brazil use the system, as well as North American and European firms including Miller, Coors, Molson, Heineken and Kronenbourg.

Complaints reduced drastically
"Our consumer complaints have been reduced drastically because of TapTone," said Jerry Schiedt, Miller Brewing Company's corporate purchasing director when Miller presented TapTone with its "Partners in Excellence" award.
Using a patented technique, an electromagnetic energy pulse "taps" the metal bottle closure, digitally processes the resulting acoustical response and compares it to the response from bottles that are known to be properly sealed. The variance from the known quality standard determines if the bottle's pressure is within the acceptable range. This process is completed in less than 1/40 of a second.
In addition to micro-leaks, the system identifies bottles with defective, missing, dented or double crowns. It is designed to withstand the harsh brewery environment and automatically compensates for variations in temperature, CO2 and LN2 levels.

Computer control and analysis
The system is controlled by a menu-driven keypad that can accommodate up to ten different pre-programmed setups. User-defined output of inspection data is available through an RS-232/485 serial port. All electronics are housed in a watertight enclosure with fully sealed touch-pad panel.
An optional PC software package allows collection of real time data output for immediate analysis, remote system setup and computer control. A selection of graphical presentations and data reporting allows users to perform in-depth statistical studies.
An optional label detection system uses adjustable photo beams to inspect for missing neck and body labels. The system is available in conveyor or floor-mounted configurations.
The manufacturer is so confident of quality improvement that it will provide an evaluation unit to breweries interested in trying the inspection system.
TapTone, a division of Benthos, Inc., of North Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA, manufactures non-contact seal integrity and leak detection inspection systems for food, beverage and pharmaceutical processors. TapTone is a registered trademark of Benthos, Inc.

For additional information, contact:
Joe Hansberry
TapTone Container Inspection Systems
Division of Benthos, Inc.
49 Edgerton Drive
N. Falmouth, MA 02556-2826 USA
Tel +1 508-563-5920, Fax +1 508-564-9945

or

Tom Niemeyer
TapTone
9331 Lake Serena Drive
Boca Raton, FL 33496 USA
Tel +1 561-883-6655, Fax +1 561-883-0685
www.taptone.com

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