Key Technology Showcases Three-Way Sorting at Pack Expo

Key Technology is exhibiting the camera/laser Manta® sorter and showcasing its optional three-way sorting capability at Pack Expo booth #7103.

Using two ejector systems, Manta’s three-way sorting allows food processors to automatically eject, to a dedicated stream, product that can be reworked and recovered, separately from material that is ejected as waste such as foreign material (FM) and non-recoverable defective product.

This powerful capability allows processors to produce a high quality finished product without losing recoverable off-grade product or requiring additional expense to separately re-sort the waste stream.

Manta with three-way sorting is ideal for processors that want to remove FM while separating valuable off-grade product from their primary product. For these processors, traditional two-way sorters typically require the reject stream be re-sorted using costly manual inspection or a second automated sorting system. Depending on the application, moving to three-way sorting can increase yields, reduce the risk of FM in finished product, reduce labor costs, and/or minimize capital equipment expense.

“The advantages of Manta with its three-way sorting capability have been proven for a variety of applications at more than 20 installations worldwide,” said Marco Azzaretti, Optical Product Manager at Key Technology. “Green bean processors are using Manta’s three-way sort to remove FM with the first ejector and remove beans with remaining stems, which are subsequently re-snipped, with the second ejector. Potato processors are using the three-way sort to remove FM and control for length, while walnut processors are using it to eliminate FM and/or separate multiple grades in one pass.”

Manta is Key’s highest capacity, high-performance sorter. Available in two widths, Manta maximizes throughput within a space-saving footprint. Handling up to 27 metric tons (60,000 pounds) of product an hour, Manta performs high resolution imaging of each object to detect and remove the smallest defects and foreign material via both camera and laser sorting. Using Key’s proprietary color cameras, Manta recognizes each object’s size and shape as well as millions of color differences to remove defects based on user-defined accept/reject standards. Integrating Key’s Raptor laser technology into Manta allows the sorter to inspect objects’ structural properties, which is often the most effective method for detecting and removing foreign material.

As a high-speed belt sorter, Manta discharges product with a consistent trajectory that enables the software to accurately pinpoint foreign material and defective products to eject. With its two-ejector configuration, Manta equipped for three-way sorting is extremely versatile. It can be changed over within seconds via the touchscreen to achieve traditional two-way sorting, in situations when off-grade products have no recoverable value.

Based on Key’s powerful G6 electro-optical platform, Manta offers the most advanced image processing in the industry. Featuring a modular design and proven, high-performance connectivity standards such as Camera Link™, FireWire®, and Ethernet, Manta ensures forward compatibility to maximize a food processor’s long-term return on investment.