Bühler Sortex E1A optical sorter for removing foreign material

Bühler’s Sortex E1A optical sorter is designed to remove foreign material from fruit and vegetable packing lines.

Based on colour and shape, the sorter identifies foreign contaminants introduced from the field and packaging process, in addition to extraneous vegetable matter (EVM) and colour defects.

Placed prior to food bagging or packing areas, the sorter will detect and remove foreign material that was missed in previous processes or which entered the food line during subsequent handling. Packaging materials such as wood from pallets, cardboard from totes and plastic from food liners are efficiently removed.

The sorter is fitted with Enhanced InGaAs (Indium-Gallium-Arsenide) camera technology to identify contaminants such as light-coloured wood in potatoes, cardboard in carrots, cigarette ends in mushrooms and coloured plastic in vegetable mixes. InGaAs cameras detect energies in the SWIR (short-wave infra-red spectrum). Frozen fruit and vegetables absorb energy at specific wavelengths; however, foreign materials reflect it, appearing brighter when seen through InGaAs cameras. InGaAs camera technology therefore detects and removes foreign materials that cannot be seen in visible wavelengths.

PROfile (shape) technology operates in tandem with the enhanced InGaAs cameras to remove rejects which may be of the correct colour, but not the correct shape. Typical examples are pods in peas, stems in beans and berries and misshapen carrots.

SMARTeject disposes of any item identified by the cameras as unacceptable via 128 pneumatic ejectors. The ejectors fire a jet of air directly at the defect rather than at a general area, reducing the amount of quality content lost.