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Their (I assume it was a Coca Cola coke) production speed is almost unbelievable, the usual checkweighters may let slip some exemplars. They're moving to X-Ray controllers, which are faster and can ensure safety in other areas too.
BTW unopened empty products are the most common difformities encountered on any production line I ever saw.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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Did not know this was so common. It was a surprise for me.
TOMZ_KV
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It's so common it's considered to be normal. Some lines, especially those which use very light containers with respect to the product, use a continuous jet of air past the fillers so that empty cans/bottles/bags are automatically thrown out of the line.
Sometimes even this clever solution fails to work because sudden slight changes to the speed of a conveyor line can push products toghether in a compact group and friction will keep the empties on the line, ready to be packed.
Automatic quality control over production lines is hell, especially with companies that produce 20-30 items per second for prolonged periods of times (sometimes even weeks) without a single interruption.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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It does seem odd. The simplest possible quality check would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
Apparently Coca Cola would rather handle the few complaints than invest in the necessary machinery. Given that failure is hardly life-threatening, that's probably a wise business decision.
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Agree. Most people probably laugh at it instead of making a complaint. That was my reaction. 
TOMZ_KV
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Daniel Pfeffer wrote: would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
They do. They simply go too fast for checkweighters to be useful.
Daniel Pfeffer wrote: than invest in the necessary machinery
They're also doing so, each year they buy a freaking lot of new machines to substitute those that they can - sometimes though their production environments are too cramped and can't accomodate different machines unless they redesign the whole chain. so not all factories have the latest QA machines.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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den2k88 wrote: Daniel Pfeffer wrote: would be to weigh the cans as they come off the conveyor belt.
They do. They simply go too fast for checkweighters to be useful.
OK, so weigh the six-pack or the 24-pack or whatever. A difference of 330 grams in the weight of those should still be easily detectable, and require much fewer weighings.
Your comment about the space on the production line makes sense; redesigning an entire factory layout in order to remove a (presumably tiny) number of errors is probably not at the top of their list... 
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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A simple quality check is to have a powerful fan blowing onto the conveyor belt. All empty cans will be just blown away*.
* This is not my idea. I heard this a few years ago, with respect to finding empty boxes in the soap manufacturing industry.
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That is a smart idea/process.
TOMZ_KV
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It doesn't always work - not all lines have a single lane. Also ,as I wrote a couple of posts ago, there are conditions when line pressure is high and empty cans are kept pressed between full ones.
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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From the mid 80's to the mid 90's, I worked at a cereal manufacturing facility. Each carton was checked for weight, and if underweight, the air 'pushed' it off the line.
As others have said, quality control is important, as long as it doesn't overtly affect profit. If a customer found a 'lump' of cereal in a box, they were asked to sent in the box top (to identify the production date and line) and would receive some coupons for free product.
Could quality control have prevented the 'lump' from reaching the production line? Yes. But, the cost could probably be more than the lost sales, so not economically viable. For those that did send in the box top and get the coupons, there may be a sense that 'the company cares' and a customer is retained.
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From the mid 90's the X-Ray vision technology gradually took hold, lumps are now something usually avoidable (at least to the customer). Still many customers are approaching the solution only recently, after having been bought by big brands which need to retain a good name, some country legislations or simply because they must renew the lines for other reasons and they decided to improve (and in many case be cost effective if they can concentrate different quality checks in a single machine).
* CALL APOGEE, SAY AARDWOLF
* GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
* Never pay more than 20 bucks for a computer game.
* I'm a puny punmaker.
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So much is involved in production. Sounds not easy to make a profit.
TOMZ_KV
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Yup. Process-control engineers certainly earn their pay!
If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.
--Winston Churchill
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Some are .NET developers too.
TOMZ_KV
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Phht, it's diet coke - hows a programmer supposed to work without energy to keep his brain functioning?
some already mentioned the empty makes it super-diet
another benefit is less weird sweetner chemicals
win-win
now go and buy proper coca-cola.
Installing Signature...
Do not switch off your computer.
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TOMZ_KV
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That one might be for me since I don't drink soft drinks.
"It is easy to decipher extraterrestrial signals after deciphering Javascript and VB6 themselves.", ISanti[ ^]
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You do not know what you have missed so far. 
TOMZ_KV
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Carbonated sugary liquid which may or may not have harmful chemicals? I can live with lack of it. I got beer.
"It is easy to decipher extraterrestrial signals after deciphering Javascript and VB6 themselves.", ISanti[ ^]
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Your choice for drinks is certainly better.
TOMZ_KV
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Not really. It has only been around 4 years that I have discovered microbreweries in the places where I have lived. I traveled a lot from 2010 through 2015 (filled up the passport). I used to rely on giants of the industry and the popular ones in the city where I was.
Then, one of the colleagues took me to a place where I saw bottles I had never seen before. I tried them and loved them. I was told these are from small breweries around the town. So, there is a very good chance that it is not really artificially carbonated. Also, they were more, well, fresher than assembly line beers. That day and now, I stick with micro-breweries. From past few months Bira 91[^] has been the choice. It's available in New York if you want to try.
"It is easy to decipher extraterrestrial signals after deciphering Javascript and VB6 themselves.", ISanti[ ^]
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Version 3.3 of the automation code was written by someone who only drinks vegetable juice. So of course it had a bug.
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Good one. See what next version looks like, written by an alcoholic. 
TOMZ_KV
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