Key Technology introduces VERYX® digital sorters for fresh and frozen berries. Featuring an innovative mechanical architecture, sustained, all-sided surface inspection, next-generation cameras and lasers, unique multi-sensor Pixel Fusion™, a high-precision ejection system, specialized product handling systems and extreme ease of use, VERYX maximizes sorting accuracy. Tailored to each customer’s application, VERYX chute- and belt-fed sorters increase foreign material (FM) and defect removal to enhance product quality while virtually eliminating false rejects to increase yield.
Ideal for blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and more, VERYX inspects fresh and individually quick frozen (IQF) berries as well as crumble and powder products. Recognizing each object’s color, size, shape and structural properties, VERYX detects and removes soft fruit, broken berries, color-based defects and both organic and inorganic FM including stems, leaves, metal, glass, rocks, paperboard, plastics and rubber of any color.
“Small, delicate, high-value berries require very gentle handling and precise sorting to maximize product quality and minimize yield loss. At Key, we have a long history and deep expertise sorting fresh and frozen berries, which we leveraged when designing VERYX for these applications,” said Marco Azzaretti, Advanced Inspection Systems Product Manager at Key. “The first installations of VERYX sorters for berries have been in production at locations around the world for several months now. These processors are reporting outstanding sorting results with VERYX.”
The small size and high value of berries demand the advanced sorting capabilities that VERYX delivers. The highest resolution cameras and laser sensors on a digital sorter detect the smallest defects and FM. Up to 4 channels of information from the cameras and up to 8 channels from the laser scanner satisfy a range of application requirements, from basic to complex. Pixel Fusion™ is a patented advanced detection technology that combines pixel-level input from multiple camera and laser sensors to provide the clearest possible differentiation between good product, defects and FM. With Pixel Fusion, VERYX consistently removes difficult-to-detect stems and other foreign materials without ‘false positives’ (the incorrect identification of good product as defect or FM), ensuring the desired product quality and maximizing yield at the same time.
Available in various widths to accommodate small- to high-capacity production environments, VERYX offers a modular design that is configured with the ideal sensor types, sensor positions, lighting, ejection system, product handling and software to meet each processor’s specific requirements. As future sorting needs change, the sorter can easily be upgraded in the field with additional or different sensor types to accommodate new customer requirements.
VERYX chute- and belt-fed sorters offer in-air inspection and the ability to view all sides of the product, including fruit with complex shapes such as strawberries. VERYX’s 100 percent surface inspection virtually eliminates blind spots to maximize defect detection and removal. All-sided inspection is sustained throughout the production cycle without requiring manual cleaning, because VERYX’s architecture strategically positions sensors, light sources and backgrounds away from product splatter and contamination zones.
Key manufactures VERYX in the U.S. and Europe to support customers worldwide.
Contact:
Anita Funk
Key Technology, Inc.
Tel: +1 509 529 2161