Califia Farms Protects Bottle Cap Quality with Advanced Vision Inspection Technology from Mettler-Toledo

Mettler-Toledo V31 vision inspection system at Califia Farms

Califia Farms is on a mission to create a future where plants replace dairy, without compromise. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Califia produces innovative, healthy and great-tasting plant-based alternatives including plant milks, creamers, barista products, brewed-to-blend coffees and heavy whipping cream. Founded in 2010, today Califia is one of the leading plant-based beverage brands in the U.S. and beyond. As part of their dedication to delivering exceptional product quality, last year Califia installed an advanced V31 vision inspection system from Mettler-Toledo on their main packaging line to help ensure every bottle leaving the facility meets their high standards.

“We had two main goals for our new vision system. The first was to verify proper cap placement on every bottle to maintain package integrity, and the second was to monitor our upstream filling and closing equipment to optimize production efficiency,” said Keith Meadows, Director of Engineering at Califia Farms. “We considered multiple vendors, looking at equipment quality and reliability. The V31 came highly recommended by our sales rep and solutions engineer, Angelica Amancio of Pacific Packaging and Inspection, and Mettler-Toledo’s great customer service sealed the deal.”

Mettler-Toledo’s modular V31 vision system can inspect caps, lids and/or labels at speeds up to 1,000 packages per minute. Califia’s system is equipped with three cameras for identification and removal of high caps, damaged caps, broken shrink bands and other closure issues. The system handles bottles ranging from 10.5 to 72 ounces in size, which are sealed with either a combination foil seal and closure or with a cap with a tamper-evident band.

Califia’s V31 identifies and removes high caps, damaged caps and other closure issues

“One of the biggest advantages of the V31 is its flexibility,” said Martha Cervantes, QA Continuous Improvement Specialist at Califia Farms. “We often changeover this line several times a day to accommodate our many beverage types and bottle sizes, and our vision system transitions seamlessly. A simple recipe selection and height adjustment is all that’s needed, and we’re ready to run in under 5 minutes.”

The V31 at Califia includes customized features for their unique production requirements, including traceability capabilities to identify which station on the upstream capper is having an issue if the vision system sees an uptick in cap defects. It’s also equipped with a specially-designed air nozzle that removes condensation before inspection for optimal accuracy. “Space efficiency was another big consideration for us, and the V31’s compact frame was easily installed right over our existing conveyor system,” said Patrick Fischer, Senior Engineering Maintenance Manager at Califia Farms.

As a company handling nuts and other allergens, sanitation at Califia is paramount as well. “The V31’s integration with our clean-in-place system significantly simplifies our cleaning protocols,” Fischer added. “It runs through an automated cleaning cycle, gets just a quick wipe-down by an operator and we’re done.”

“What really stands out about working with Mettler-Toledo is their commitment to customer success, regardless of project size. They spent two full days with our team during the Factory Acceptance Test in Florida, demonstrating a deep passion for their technology and patience for our many questions,” concluded Meadows. “Our new V31 vision system allows us to go beyond randomized sampling – we’re now inspecting every single cap on the line. When you’re as focused on consumer satisfaction as we are at Califia, this level of quality assurance is invaluable.”

About METTLER TOLEDO

METTLER TOLEDO is a leading global manufacturer of precision instruments and a service provider. The company ranks highly in a number of market segments and is a global market leader in many areas. METTLER TOLEDO is one of the largest providers of weighing systems and analysis instruments for use in laboratories and in-line measurement within demanding industrial and food production processes.

The Product Inspection division of METTLER TOLEDO is one of the leading providers within the field of automated inspection technology. The division includes the following brands: Safeline metal detection and X-ray inspection, Garvens and Hi-Speed checkweighers, and CI-Vision machine vision systems. The product inspection solutions improve manufacturers’ process efficiency and help them comply with industry standards and regulations. METTLER TOLEDO systems ensure consistently higher product quality, helping protect both consumers as well as the reputation of manufacturers and their products and brands.

For more information, please visit: www.mt.com/pi