“We trialed them with a glue detection system on a new machine we installed earlier in2006, and since then, we have installed them on all our other machines – with great success. It has resolved a lot of the gluing issues we had. The Valco system will detect a glue fault in the glue pattern, length and lack of glue. It sprays a fluorescent chemical onto the side of the box, which identifies the box. It lets the machine run on to the counter rejector end and an ultra violet light picks up the fluorescent spray. The operator removes the offending box and away he goes.”

Previously, said Murray, the side had a Smofad photographic system which wasn’t as user-friendly as the new system. “There were a lot of errors going through and the operators were missing them. You’d get an alarm to say there was a fault but you had to search for the offending box. Now the operator only has one button to push, which says: ‘OBTAIN NEW GLUE LINK’. The first box comes through, reads it, you press ACCEPT and away you go.”

He said the cost was comparable and the system is a lot easier to use and requires very little intervention.