With a worldwide reputation for product quality, customer service, and minting technology, the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) is at the forefront of innovation in producing coinage and currency. The RCM uses advanced automation equipment to count and wrap pennies in rolls. However, in the past these rolls were manually inspected for the number of pennies contained and the integrity of each package. Recently, the RCM has improved efficiency by implementing a machine vision system that checks the package to make sure it is intact and verifies that the roll is the correct length. The machine vision system has improved inspection productivity from 25,000 to 40,000 rolls per shift and reduced downtime while eliminating a difficult and troublesome manual task.

A commercial Crown corporation of the Government of Canada, the RCM has more than 800 employees with facilities in Ottawa and Winnipeg. The RCM’s business lines include Canadian and foreign circulation coins, numismatic coins (for collectors), gold and other bullion investment products, and refining. The RCM produces all of Canada’s circulation coins and is a leading producer of coins for foreign countries, with approximately a one-third share of the world market. From 1976 to 2010, the RCM has manufactured coins for 75 countries.

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