Increasing the contrast between good and defective in order to improve the accuracy of optical sorting. This is what Optimum Sorting strives for when developing new machines and technologies. The introduction of white laser light is received particularly enthusiastically.
Eighteen months ago, Concept Engineers was taken over by Optimum Sorting. This company, specialised in optical sorters based on camera techniques, has now been completely absorbed by Optimum Sorting. The company develops and produces sorters and technologies based on camera or laser techniques, or a combination of both. “The requirements regarding quality and food safety are increasing. To guarantee constant quality, sorters are inevitable. We want to serve the market with the most optimal optical sorting possibilities. This requires considerable investments in machines and technologies, which has already led to a number of unique novelties in recent months,” says manager Steve Raskin.
For example, Optimum Sorting developed a technology that creates a white laser light. According to Steve, this is the height of optical sorting. “Everyone is looking for this. White laser light has all of the necessary wavelengths and can therefore create an exact wavelength to create a contrast between good and bad. This truly is progress.” Normally, a maximum of three wavelengths is used. With this technology, it becomes possible to choose eight different wavelengths and to combine them with each other. “This year, about 30 boxes with white laser light have been installed for producers of frozen chips, nuts, raisins, cocktail onions and similar products, and these have all been positively received.”
Preventing false detection
Special about these new laser boxes is that Optimum Sorting decided the most optimum position angle of the mirror and the filter in cooperation with the supplier of optical mirrors. “This has led to eight lasers and 16 different receivers, a considerable improvement compared to four lasers and five or six receivers, which is common.” Besides the optical part, a good signal processing also plays a large part. Steve says most sorting companies only us two signals simultaneously to process the data of the products. “We’ll be processing multiple signals at the same time, so that a much better contrast between the good and bad products can be achieved. It’s practically impossible to achieve 100% detection, but up to 99% is starting to become believable.”
Laser responds to firm and soft structures. That’s why foreign objects, including wood, glass and metal, can distinguished well. Besides, it’s also possible to look at the water content of the detected object. For instance, a yellow golf ball, which is a common defect among potatoes, is difficult to detect based on colour or shape. With laser light, the contrast of the golf ball’s structure becomes clear. Just as important during signal processing is the prevention of false detection. Steve: “Detecting foreign objects and defects comes first. However, eliminating the expulsion of a good product takes it one step further. The percentage has already decreased considerably over the years as a result of new and improved techniques. Yet producers are still losing good products due to false expulsion. Because we can create a better contrast using multiple signals, false detection on good product has become a thing of the past. We definitely live up to our slogan, maximum yield and constant quality, because of this.”
User-friendliness can be decisive
Besides the laser box, Optimum Sorting also introduces the new free-fall laser machine Ventus for the detection of foreign objects in frozen vegetables. With the help of laser technology, the products can be sorted based on colour, shape and structure. Furthermore, Steve mentions that data-analyses is playing an ever larger part. The company makes all data available for customers free of charge. Because multiple signals are processed at the same time, a complete overview of specific colours, sizes, and for example, the number of defects and the kind of material can be given. “This is something quality services want to know. We can and want to know more and more about the product. When there’s plenty of information it becomes possible to decide the quality in advance, so that sorting can occur even more efficiently. We personally think user-friendliness is also important. The result depends on the way the machine has been set up. That’s why it’s important the machine can easily be set up.”
The same is true for service. Optimum wants to make a difference with their service and an after-sales service. “We’re convinced our machines have to be able to sort 24-7, and that a stagnation is valuable time for our customers. That’s why we have various formulas to ensure our machines last long and well in different working conditions. We make sure we quickly arrive at our customers’, and we don’t leave until the problem has been solved.”
More information:
Optimum Sorting
Steve Raskin
steve.raskin@optimum-sorting.com
www.optimum-sorting.com