Bühler has pioneered a new technology that uses high-definition cameras to detect foreign objects on the packing line.
The InGaAs cameras can be used by manufacturers to detect materials that would otherwise be difficult to spot – including light-coloured wood in potatoes and coloured plastic in vegetable mixes. They are based on semiconductor sensors made from indium gallium arsenide alloy and operate in the short wave infra-red range. As a conseqence, they are able to detect even the subtlest of colour differences that cannot be seen in the visible spectrum.
Bühler said that the technology would protect producers against expensive product recalls and the subsequent damage to reputation that would arise from a foreign material being found by a consumer in the end-product.
Stephen Jacobs, global product manager for Bühler, said: “While increasing amounts of frozen fruits and vegetables are being processed, food safety regulations are tightening in most countries and processors have to guarantee the safety and quality of their products.”
Bühler has pioneered the use of the technology for use in packing lines as a final check, to ensure that difficult-to-detect packaging materials were quickly identified and accurately removed from the product stream.
Bühler head of sensor development Benedict Deefholts added: “By combining a new hardware, software and lens package, we were able to engineer a new camera with double the resolution. As a result of this in-house development, our sorter will be able to identify foreign material objects down to half the previous size.”
The new InGaAsHD cameras are available for Bühler’s Sortex E product line, with processors already operating the Sortex E lines being offered the option of an upgrade.
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