Image-Based Automation System for Sorting Plastic Bottle Caps Using PLC and SCADA

Automation and robotics are rapidly developing today. Recently, image processing and situation analysis have started to constitute an important part of industrial automation processes. In this study, sorting (categorization) of plastic bottle caps by their colors and geometric shapes was achieved based on image processing. The prototype used for this consisted of a conveyor belt, a camera, an Arduino card, a robotic arm and a PLC. Control over the system is achieved via PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and the Arduino card. Integrity and color of the caps are detected on the prototype with the method of image processing. The C# programming language was used for this. The caps are grabbed by the robotic arm and stacked based on their geometric shapes and colors. The system can be monitored and controlled on the SCADA screen. While the prototype may be used as an RD tool for industrial automation processes, it may also be used as education material for schools.