Key Technology introduces new line of optical sorters
Food processing machinery manufacturer Key Technology has introduced its new line of food optical sorters. The COMPASS line includes next-generation inspection technology as well as a new sort engine and ergonomic user interface.
The sorter achieves consistently accurate foreign material and product defect removal while simplifying system operation, sanitation and maintenance, according to a news release.
“Optical sorting technology has developed significantly over the last decade,” Jack Lee, Duravant group president – Food Sorting and Handling Solutions said in the release. “Until now, more advanced sorting capabilities meant a system that was also more complex to operate and costly to maintain. COMPASS is the first sorter that breaks that paradigm. It offers consistently high sort accuracy, a compelling ROI and significantly simpler and more intuitive operation than any other food sorting system.”
Key Technology is a member of the Duravant’s portfolio of operating companies.
COMPASS’s advanced sensors and lighting technology, as well as Key’s NEXT sort engine, allows for the accurate identification and sorting of plastic, glass, paper and other foreign material on the processing line. The sorter can also sort for specific product defects in applications including processed, frozen and pre-processed vegetables and fruits, nuts, leafy greens, potato chips and confections.
COMPASS features Key Discovery, data analytics and reporting software that turns the sorter into an IoT-connected device.
COMPASS is offered in a configurable range of system types and sizes. Key is first introducing chute-fed COMPASS models, to be followed by belt-fed variants of the sorter.
The sorter can be installed at the start of the line to sort incoming product, after transformational processes on the line or at the end of the food processing line.
