Service Advisor - October 2009

In This Issue

Training

We introduced our online training earlier this year and we have continually added new courses covering our G6 sorting platforms. In July, we added the Tegra® platform and we recently released ADR®
4 & 5 courses. Online training is a great way to ensure that your operators and maintenance personnel have the knowledge they need to efficiently operate and maintain your critical piece of equipment.

Did you know a one year subscription gives your plant access to all the courses for your equipment for as many students as you need? Contact us to learn more.

Free Webinar - Top 10 Sorter Problems You Can Fix

Late night talk show hosts have them so we thought why not us? When we started to compile the list, it really became evident that there are not 10 sorter problems. There is really only one, “My sorter is not sorting very well”. So rather than the top ten problems, we are presenting the top 10 solutions! Join us for this informative session on November 18th at 11:00 a.m. PST. Register Now!

New Products!

Manta® 1600 Camera / Laser Sorter

In late September Key introduced the Manta® 1600, a new mid-volume high performance sorter. Featuring a 1520-mm wide scan area and up to seven cameras and two lasers, Manta 1600 sorts as much as 15 metric tons of product per hour to perfectly match the requirements of most processed vegetable, potato, and fruit production lines. To meet the specific needs of each application, Key can configure Manta 1600 to include a combination of cameras and lasers for on-belt and off-belt in-air viewing.

Extreme modularity allows Manta 1600 to be easily reconfigured in the field, which enables processors to confidently select a camera/laser arrangement today knowing that the sorting system can grow if their needs change.

Using color and/or Vis/IR cameras, Manta 1600 recognizes each object’s size and shape as well as millions of subtle color differences to remove defects based on user-defined reject standards. Raptor lasers detect foreign material (FM) based on differences in the structural properties of the objects while FluoRaptor™ reliably detects foreign material (FM) based on differing levels of flourescing material. Combining cameras and lasers on one platform achieves the most comprehensive sort available in the market. Learn more about the Manta® 1600 Laser / Camera Sorter.

Sorter Tips

Key Technology Optical and Laser Sorters

Six Keys to Optical Sorting

There are six keys to high-speed optical sorting:

Singulation
Acceleration
Presentation
Evaluation
Separation
Deceleration

Product pieces must be evenly distributed and mono-layered before the sorter belt, this is known as Singulation. Typically this is accomplished via an infeed shaker specialized for your application. The infeed shaker ensures the product is evenly spread out, separating pieces to remove clumps that will impact sorting efficiency and product quality.

Acceleration is the transition from feed speed to sorter belt speed. Depending on the product, chutes may be used to gently bring the product up to the speed of the belt. At this point longitudinal separation occurs.

The increase in speed can cause stability problems so brushes and product stabilizers may be employed to assist in positioning the product for Presentation. Individual pieces must be oriented and stable for the best camera or laser views. A key to presentation is a uniform belt color. Stained or off color belts will impact the quality of the sort.

Evaluation is the key point in the sorting process where the sorting system actually classifies what is good product, defect or foreign material and determines which pieces should be ejected. Evaluation consists of the following steps and uses the components mentioned below:

Image acquisition - Cameras and lighting*
Image processing - Computer and software
Defect classification - Software

*To ensure accurate image acquisition, camera windows and lamps tubes must be kept clean and free of debris.

Separation is the point at which product pieces identified as defective and marked for removal are separated from the good product stream. At this stage in the sorting process, the software determines which and how many ejector valves will open. It will also determine when they will open and for how long. To ensure proper ejection, you should check the air pressure regularly and adjust as necessary.

After separation, high-speed sorting changes to low-speed conveying. Deceleration amounts to applying the brakes gently and reducing the conveyor speeds.

Ultimately the operator is the real expert behind the sorting system. The sorter’s camera is not exactly like a human eye and the computer is not a human brain. While these are great substitutes for high speed optical sorting, the real brain, eyes and ears behind the sorter are the operator’s. The operator functions as a performance optimizer. The system cannot adjust itself to subtle changes in product from field to field or batch to batch; it’s the operator who makes the adjustments necessary for the desired results.

Did you know Key Technology has online training that covers topics such as this to help you operate your sorters more efficiently? Check out a demo today.

Shaker Tips

In the previous two issues of the Service Advisor we talked about the importance of shaker tuning and maintenance. Properly maintained and tuned shakers will extend the life of the shaker spring arms (along with the bed and frame).

But how do you know that the arms are failing?

If the stroke is increasing on any shaker the arms should be inspected.
The still point of the arm may be moving toward the center.
If the arm has failed you may hear a clicking noise.
Broken arm bolts or brackets will demonstrate the same attributes as failed arms.

Stages of the failure of a spring arm arm:

Stage 1: Closely spaced parallel lines on the fiber near the back plate.

Stage 2: Delaminating, a separation of layers where the damaged area is a lighter color.

Stage 3: Fractures, cracks in the fiber sometimes visible near the back plate, often hidden under the back plate.

Stage 4: Finally, the result is breakage of the arm spring.

Have you heard about our SmartArm® for helping you monitor your shakers to ensure they stay in tune? Check it out here.