Date presence
Confirm that the complete date field has been printed in the expected inspection area.
Best-before-date inspection systems
Catch the wrong best-before date before it leaves your line
Read, verify and record every printed best-before date—then automatically remove packs with a missing, unreadable or incorrect result.
Protect shelf-life accuracy
Purpose-built vision inspection
A visible date is not necessarily the correct date
Oxford Vision Systems combines controlled lighting, industrial cameras and date-aware inspection logic to check that each best-before date agrees with the active product, recipe and production schedule. The system can validate format, character content, position and print integrity at full line speed.
Logical date check
Compare the read value with a recipe, calculated shelf-life date, PLC value or database result.
Format verification
Control day, month and year structure, separators, prefixes and permitted character count.
Print integrity
Detect low contrast, missing characters, smudging, displacement and incomplete strings.
System outcomes
Best-before control without relying on manual checks
Automated inspection maintains the programmed standard throughout the run and provides an immediate response when the printer or product presentation changes.
Reduce coding escapes
Inspect every pack rather than relying on occasional operator samples.
Protect customer confidence
Prevent obviously wrong, expired or unreadable dates from reaching retailers and consumers.
Respond quickly
Use alarms, counters, stored failure images or line-stop logic to identify recurring faults.
Application engineering
Configured for your shelf-life rules and pack presentation
The inspection tolerance must distinguish natural print variation from a genuine coding failure. We trial representative packs and deliberately poor samples to establish the correct camera, lens, light and acceptance criteria.
- Static or calculated best-before dates
- Multiple products and recipe changeovers
- Curved, glossy or flexible packaging
- Integration with printer, PLC and reject device
Related inspection systems
Build a complete code-control point
Combine the inspection with complementary print, data or reject checks where they reduce the risk of a non-conforming pack reaching the customer.
Frequently asked questions
Best-before-date inspection questions
Every inspection begins with real samples, representative print and the operating conditions found on your production line.
Can the system calculate the expected best-before date?
The expected value can be supplied by the line PLC, production database or a recipe that applies a defined shelf-life offset to the production date. The implementation depends on the controls and data available on the line.
Can it inspect dates printed on curved jars or bottles?
Yes, subject to a successful sample trial. Camera position, lens choice, lighting and product control are adapted to the curvature and the permitted range of container rotation.
What if different date formats are used for different products?
Separate inspection recipes can store the expected format, region of interest and validation rules for each product. Recipe selection can be manual or exchanged with the line controls.
Oxford Vision Systems
Prove the inspection with your own best-before print
Send representative good and failed samples, your line speed and the date rules you need to control. We will define a practical inspection trial.
Continue planning