DESIGN AND CONTRUCTION OF ULTRASONIC-BASED CRACK DETECTION SYSTEM FOR BOTTLES USING ARDUINO UNO

The detection of cracks in bottles is critical for ensuring product quality and safety in industries such as beverages, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Cracks can lead to leaks, contamination, or breakage, jeopardizing consumer safety and brand reputation. Current inspection methods, such as visual or manual checks, are time-consuming, prone to human error, and inadequate for high-speed production lines. Ultrasonic sensors offer a non-destructive, precise, and reliable alternative for detecting surface and subsurface cracks. This research aims to address the limitations of traditional methods, reduce material waste, and improve compliance with industry standards. Additionally, the study seeks to advance technological innovation by integrating ultrasonic systems with automated production lines, fostering economic efficiency and sustainability. By leveraging real-time ultrasonic inspection, this research contributes to enhanced quality control processes, ensuring safer, defect-free products for consumers.The modern packaging process for beer and malt, highlighting the transition from manual methods to automated systems. The process involves several critical steps, including washing, filling, pasteurizing, labeling, and palletizing, all aimed at maintaining product quality and compliance with regulatory standards. This project focuses on the development of a ultrasonic-based crack detection system for bottles using Arduino UNO before they are filled. While the industry standard approach involves using a backlight and vision system, the shape of the bottles in this application makes that method challenging and costly. In this project, an Arduino micro-controller paired with an ultrasonic sensor to detect cracks on bottles. The primary objective was to develop a cost-effective and efficient system capable of identifying surface irregularities, such as cracks, by analyzing the reflected ultrasonic waves. The Arduino programmed to measure the time delay of the ultrasonic pulses reflected from the bottle's surface. By comparing the readings from an intact bottle to those from a cracked one, the discrepancies caused by the cracks were identified. The system demonstrated promising results in detecting surface-level defects, offering a simple yet reliable solution for quality control in manufacturing processes. This approach highlights the potential of using low-cost, accessible technology like Arduino for industrial applications. It was also discovered that cracks in the glass might alter the bottles’ resonant frequencies enough to be detected, and this could provide an alternative solution.