Digitally sort green beans with ease

FOOD safety and hygiene are critical in every aspect of food production, and maintaining these ensures no products are recalled. When it comes to packaged fruits or vegetables, consumers can be turned off by seeing a pip, stick or sliver of plastic where there shouldn’t be. So the latest digital sorters are powerful enough to ensure only the wanted parts of a fruit, vegetable or other product passes processing and packaging stages.

The VERYX^® family of digital sorters for green beans are chute- and belt-fed to identify and remove extraneous vegetable matter (EVM), including stalks, calyx, stems and several other types of unwanted vegetable materials often found with harvested green beans, as well as beans with blemishes and foreign material (FM) such as sticks, wood, glass and more. They come with optional three-way sorting to separate beans for rework while rejecting waste product and FM and passing good beans. Eliminate false rejects, these features help to maximize yield. They sort whole or cut green beans, fresh or frozen, for fresh pack, frozen and canned product applications. These modular sorters are configured with the optimal sensor types, sensor positions, lighting, ejection system, product handling and software to meet the specific needs of each green bean processor.

Fresh green beans are passing through Key Technology's VERYX sorter. Depending on the sorter model, the VERYX has a capacity of up to 5.5 metric tons of green beans per hour

For multi-product lines that also process other vegetables such as cut corn, peas, carrots, beets and more, VERYX maximizes production flexibility with fast and accurate recipe-driven changeovers that ensure repeatable results.

With chute- and belt-fed sorters available in a variety of widths for low- to high-capacity processing lines, VERYX can sort green beans before or after blanching and after freezing prior to packaging, depending on the products being produced and the processor’s objectives. Thanks to inspection zones that are wider than other sorters with a similar footprint, VERYX enables processors to increase their throughputs by up to 15% while conserving floorspace. Depending on the VERYX model size, system capacities range from up to 5.5 metric tons (12,000 lb.) of green beans per hour for VERYX B70 to up to 19 metric tons (42,000 lb.) of green beans per hour for VERYX B210, the largest sorter in the VERYX product family. Capacities are dependent on incoming defect levels and actual varieties.

Powerful sensors and cameras

The cameras and sensors used in the VERYX are sufficient to track EVM and FM since they have twice the resolution of previous generation sensors. Key uses its unique multi-sensor Pixel Fusion™ detection technology and object-based recognition with advanced shape sorting algorithms to improve detection accuracy. An innovative mechanical architecture, specialized product handling systems and new ejection system accurately separate EVM, FM and defects while virtually eliminating false rejects.

Pixel Fusion is a patented detection technology that combines pixel-level input from multiple cameras and laser sensors to provide the clearest possible differentiation between good product, defects, FM and EVM using multispectral analysis. Object-based recognition and advanced shape sorting algorithms combine to recognize green beans with attached stalks, calyx and stems. Those beans can be separated for rework using the optimal ejection strategy for each item in the product stream.

360-degree inspection

The sorters feature in-air inspection and the ability to view all sides of the product, achieving complete surface inspection with no blind spots for superior detection and removal of green beans with surface blemishes. All-sided inspection is sustained throughout the production cycle without requiring manual cleaning, because VERYX’s architecture strategically positions sensor windows, light sources and sensor backgrounds away from product splatter and contamination zones.

“At Key, we have a long history and deep expertise sorting green beans, so we’re in a great position to leverage our knowledge to improve the process, taking advantage of the newest detection technologies. We combine the most advanced green bean optical sorting with our mechanical grading and sizing systems and conveying solutions to help processors elevate their product quality and maximize yield,” said Marco Azzaretti, Advanced Inspection Systems Product Manager at Key Technology. “VERYX is an extremely versatile sorter. We customize each system to the exact needs the processor, considering the nuances of specific green bean varietals and regional differences in customer needs.”

Intelligent features but simple to use

The VERYX includes smart system features such as auto-learning, self-adjustment algorithms, predictive diagnostics and smart alerts including the FMAlert™ feature. This enables VERYX to automatically adapt to normal changes in the product and environment, maintaining optimal performance. As result, VERYX can operate virtually unattended during normal production. Minimal sanitation requirements and simplified maintenance help reduce downtime and the customer’s total cost of ownership.

To further ease use and simplify operator training, Key developed an intuitive new UI designed with Human-Machine Interface experts. The VERYX UI provides different views to users of various levels depending on their needs. Recipe-driven operation ensures customers can count on consistent performance from their VERYX sorter day in, day out, including when running the same product across multiple sorters on different lines. For customers running multiple product types on the same system, the ergonomic VERYX UI enables the sorter to run a new product or grade at the touch of a button. Operator qualification requirements are reduced, allowing a minimally-skilled individual to become a proficient user of the technology in less than one hour.

VERYX features Key’s Information Analytics, a powerful set of data acquisition and connectivity capabilities that allow users to gather a broad range of product and operational data from the sorter. Data can be shared for off-line analysis or exchanged directly with a customer’s SCADA, Manufacturing Execution System or PLC network.

Key manufactures VERYX sorters in both the U.S. and Europe, and supports customers worldwide through its global sales and service network.