The Duravant family of operating companies serve the food processing, packaging and material handling segments.
Key Technology Introduces FM Alert with Artificial Intelligence
Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, introduces AI-driven FM Alert software for their digital sorting systems at Pack Expo booth S-3547. This powerful tool captures and saves digital images of critical foreign material (FM) contaminants that the sorter detects and rejects from the product stream. Data outputs from the software can be utilized to immediately alert operators and/or signal a downstream device. AI-enhanced FM Alert helps processors better control FM and improve documentation to protect food safety.
“Thanks to the application of advanced artificial intelligence, our new FM Alert software achieves uniquely accurate results – identifying, recording and acting on true FM findings on the line” said Marco Azzaretti, Director of Marketing at Key. “The food processing industry continues to focus more and more on elevating food safety. By making product safer, this effective FM-fighting tool helps customers protect their brand’s reputation and avoid costly recalls. Every food processor wants to prevent contamination, making FM Alert universally beneficial across all applications.”
As Key’s sorters find and remove all types of FM and a huge variety of user-specified defects, most users will program FM Alert to act on only specific types of critical FM such as glass, plastic, rubber or wood.
FM Alert automatically captures and saves a digital image that is timestamped and ‘marked’ to point out the critical FM contaminant. To address critical FM findings immediately, data outputs can be utilized by the plant to drive custom behaviors, including notifying operators to the FM event with a visual and/or audible alarm at the sorter or to alert others on and off the production floor. These real-time notifications enable a processor to identify the source of the FM and remedy quality problems rapidly. Additionally, FM Alert data outputs can be utilized to trigger a gate or diverter downstream of the sorter to segregate at-risk product so an operator can confirm the critical FM was physically removed from the product stream.
Complementing FM Alert, Key’s Discovery software can be used to gain additional insight into the frequency and type of FM events. With Discovery, processors can leverage their Key sorters to collect, analyze and share data about the sort process and every object flowing through the sorter. Information about what the sorter found and when allows processors to recognize trends and correlations, such as connecting FM events to specific batches of product or suppliers, enabling the processor to eliminate root causes. The documentation supports quality assurance for the processor as well as other stakeholders.
The new AI-driven FM Alert is an option available on every new Key digital sorter including VERYX, and is available as a field upgrade for all installed Key sorters.
About Key Technology, Inc.
Key Technology is a global leader in the design and manufacture of automation systems including digital sorters, conveyors and other processing equipment. Applying processing knowledge and application expertise, Key helps customers in the food processing and other industries improve quality, increase yield and reduce cost. Key manufactures its products in Walla Walla, Washington, USA; Redmond, Oregon, USA; and in Beusichem, the Netherlands. Key offers customer demonstration and testing services at five locations including Walla Walla and Beusichem as well as Hasselt, Belgium; Sacramento, California, USA; and Melbourne, Australia; and maintains a sales and service office in Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico. Key is a Duravant Company. For more information, visit www.key.net.
About Duravant
Headquartered in Downers Grove, IL, Duravant is a global engineered equipment company with manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Through their portfolio of operating companies, Duravant delivers trusted end-to-end process solutions for customers and partners through engineering and integration expertise, project management and operational excellence. With worldwide sales distribution and service networks, they provide immediate and lifetime aftermarket support to all the markets they serve in the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors. Duravant’s market-leading brands are synonymous with innovation, durability and reliability. For more information, visit www.duravant.com.
Reader Inquiries:
Buffy Hagerman
Key Technology
150 Avery Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362 USA
Tel: +1 509 540 7415
bhagerman@key.net
www.key.net
Lene Boes
Key Technology
Bedrijfsstraat 6b
B-3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0) 11 24 91 91
lboes@key.net
www.key.net