HAVER & BOECKER extends QUAT²RO AI suite with bag verification and seal detection systems
HAVER & BOECKER has expanded its QUAT²RO® AI product suite with two new systems targeting quality control at the start and end of automated packing lines. The additions – QUAT²RO BAGcheck and QUAT²RO SEALcheck – join the existing QUAT²RO MATEXcheck and QUAT²RO VALVEcheck systems, completing a four-component AI-driven inspection platform for the food industry, cement, building materials, and chemical industries.
What the new systems do
QUAT²RO® BAGcheck applies image recognition to verify that the correct bag type has been loaded into the bag magazine of closed, automated packing machines such as the INTEGRA® IV. A camera identifies each bag prior to filling; if the system flags a mismatch, the packing line halts and the operator is prompted to replace the bag. The system is designed to catch errors that might otherwise go undetected until palletising or, in a worst-case scenario, until the product reaches the customer.
At the opposite end of the line, QUAT²RO SEALcheck uses camera-based monitoring to inspect valve bags leaving the packing machine. The system checks sealed valves for loose product on the conveyor; bags identified as unsealed are automatically diverted from the line before palletising begins.
Together, the two systems function as bookends to the packing process, with QUAT²RO VALVEcheck and QUAT²RO MATEXcheck addressing quality during the filling stage itself.
Filling-stage controls: VALVEcheck and MATEXcheck
QUAT²RO VALVEcheck reduces downtime and product waste by confirming that each valve bag has been correctly fitted to the filling spout. Bags identified as improperly opened are dropped to the machine floor for manual rework, allowing operators to reopen them by hand and return them to the line. According to the company, lines running VALVEcheck have recorded savings of up to 50 euros per day.
QUAT²RO MATEXcheck – short for material explosion check – was introduced in 2024 and monitors the internal filling process using a high-resolution camera system. When the camera detects abnormal material discharge, it immediately alerts the operator and halts filling. Earlier weight-based detection methods could impose a delay of approximately two seconds before triggering a shutdown – at filling rates of up to 30 kilograms per second, that represents a potential loss of 60 kilograms of product per incident. QUAT²RO MATEXcheck detects anomalies significantly faster, reducing or eliminating that loss.
Continuous learning and integration
All four systems can be connected via QUAT²RO Connect, a platform that aggregates data across the packing line and presents it through an HMI dashboard. HAVER & BOECKER’s inhouse AI specialists monitor the platform to identify the root causes of operational issues and anticipate potential bottlenecks. Both QUAT²RO Connect and the individual AI systems can be retrofitted to existing enclosed automated packing machines or specified as optional upgrades on new equipment.
A key design principle across the suite is continuous model improvement. “QUAT²RO AI isn’t just the next digital product. It’s the last digital product our customers will need to buy. The AI systems integrated into these machines continuously learn and update, meaning you’re preparing your packing line for the future,” said Dirk Bergmann, Head of AI at HAVER & BOECKER.
The expansion follows the commercial success of MATEXcheck, which prompted the company to investigate further inspection points along the packing line. “The success of our first AI product, QUAT²RO MATEXcheck, prompted us to explore other unique AI solutions to address the unique needs of our customers and expand into other detection options,” Bergmann added.
For food producers operating high-throughput valve-bag lines – flour, sugar, starches, powdered ingredients – the suite offers an automated quality assurance layer across the full packing sequence, from bag identification through to seal verification.
For more information, visit: https://www.haverboecker.com/en/products/digital-products/
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