Company: Key Technology

Website: www.key.net

Technology Snapshot: Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, introduces their enhanced FMAlert software for VERYX digital sorters. FMAlert captures and saves digital images of foreign material (FM) contaminants and can be programmed to immediately alert operators and signal a downstream device during critical FM events. Now, the next-generation FMAlert annotates each image to pinpoint the FM object detected and further eases access to records. Coupled with VERYX’s advanced detection capabilities, FMAlert helps processors control FM, speed response to FM events, recognize trends and improve documentation to protect food safety.

“New food safety regulations and consumers’ rising expectations for product quality are pushing processors to look at more ways to ensure their product is free from FM,” said Marco Azzaretti, advanced inspection systems product manager at Key. “Equipping VERYX with FMAlert is a powerful combination. The sorter’s advanced Pixel Fusion sensor technology finds smaller and more subtle FM and defects, and it can better identify specific FM types. VERYX removes FM as well as product defects from the product stream with virtually no false rejects; FMAlert adds another layer of protection and helps document the process.

Key’s FMAlert captures and saves time-stamped digital images of critical FM present in the product stream and can be programmed to identify specific, user-defined FM types. The software can also be programmed to trigger a smart alarm to alert the operator or team when critical FM is found. ‘Marks’ are digitally placed on the images to point out each critical FM contaminant, so it’s easily seen. The images are saved on the VERYX PC and can be downloaded at the sorter via a USB drive or accessed remotely. Beyond helping processors quickly react to FM quality problems and discover the root causes, FMAlert’s digital records help identify FM trends, such as reoccurring FM from a specific product source, and the documentation provides quality assurance to the processor and other stakeholders.

While VERYX sorts out all FM and user-specified defects by design, customers that want to maximize their certainty that all critical FM is removed can use FMAlert to trigger a downstream diverter or dump gate to separate the portion of the product flow where the critical FM was detected.

All food processors with VERYX, as well as other Key sorters, can benefit from FMAlert. VERYX is Key’s next-generation family of chute- and belt-fed sorters, which offers the most advanced detection capabilities. Powerful 4-channel cameras and laser scanners offer twice the resolution of previous sensor technology. The unique VERYX Pixel Fusion detection technology combines pixel-level input from multiple cameras and laser sensors, detecting subtle differences to more clearly differentiate FM and product defects from good product, which increases product quality and process yield.

For more information on Key’s VERYX, visit www.key.net/products/veryx.