Frozen Vegetable Processor Boosts Product Quality and Production Efficiency with Digital Sorters

A combination of next-generation cameras, sensors, and pixel-level detection allows for all-sided surface inspection.

The VERYX B140 belt-fed sorter is equipped with top and bottom sensors that allow for in-air inspection of products.
The VERYX B140 belt-fed sorter is equipped with top and bottom sensors that allow for in-air inspection of products.
Photo courtesy of Key Technology.

Antarctic Foods has grown about 25% annually over the last few years selling frozen vegetables to baby food processors and others throughout Europe. The Roselare, Belgium-based company plans to maintain that growth in part by optimizing its inspection line. Antarctic installed two advanced digital sorters that not only remove foreign materials and defects from products but maximize the efficiency of its production process and elevate food safety.

Antarctic uses two VERYX digital sorters from Key Technology at its plant in Ychoux, France, to prepare carrots, green beans, and salsify of different types and various cut shapes and sizes. The belt-fed VERYX B140 sorter is located on the wet end of its processing line, while the chute-fed VERYX C140 is used for final inspection.

All-around inspection

Antarctic Foods uses the VERYX C140 sorter for final inspection of products.Antarctic Foods uses the VERYX C140 sorter for final inspection of products.Photo courtesy of Key Technology.Both VERYX sorters feature technology that provide all-sided surface inspection. Top- and bottom-mounted off-axis, four-channel cameras recognize colors, sizes, and shapes. Two-sided high-resolution laser sensors detect structural properties, including the presence of chlorophyll. Key’s Pixel Fusion detection module combines pixel-level input from the cameras and laser sensors, producing higher contrasts to find the most-difficult-to-detect foreign materials and defects without false rejects.

According to Key Technology, the VERYX B140 is the world’s only belt-fed sorter that inspects product entirely in the air with top and bottom sensors. In addition, the bottom-mounted sensors on the VERYX B140 are positioned away from product splatter so full surface inspection is sustained throughout long production cycles without operator intervention.

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