The Sortex A MultiVision, includes a camera which can see four wavelengths; red, green, blue and infrared, to detect defects, whereas previous machines could only see two colours.
Product manager Faisal Baig told FoodProductionDaily.com Bühler had already had a greater than expected number of orders from all around the world since the MultiVision’s launch a couple of weeks ago.
The advanced technology could be used to detect subtle colour defects, which means it can remove contaminated product and ‘same-colour’ foreign material accurately from foodstuffs, he explained.
Mycotoxins detection
The machine can detect mycotoxins — toxic to humans and animals — in a range of foodstuffs, including such mycotoxins as sclerotia from sunflower seeds, vomitoxin from wheat, fusarium from barely, ergot from rye, and aflatoxins from peanuts and tree nuts.
Baig commented: “The inspection system of this machine is advanced, it looks at multiple colours. It has a global scope in checking crops like maize and rye for example, in countries where there is a potential toxin problem with a crop. Food companies in Europe could use it to check imports.”
The Sortex A MultiVision has a five-chute design allowing both re-sort and simultaneous sort on the same machine. This delivers sort capacities of up to 15 tonnes per hour.
A food processor might require between one and three machines per factory to check products, Baig estimated.
MultiVision benefits
The MultiVision also has sealed optical and control boxes protecting essential components from dust to minimise downtime and increase hourly capacity and yield.
Low power and low air consumption, along with long-life, high-speed ejectors, further reduce operational and maintenance costs, said the company.
“Processors of a wide variety of foods, all over the world, are seeking more reliable sorting solutions. They need to remove defects cost-effectively so that their commodities will meet the safety standards demanded of them,” commented Bühler Sortex research and development director Matt Kelly.
Bühler Sortex managing director, Hamid Kefayati, added: “The introduction to the global market of our most advanced optical sorter for dry commodities, cements Bühler's position as the leading optical sorting technology partner for food processors who are seeking to reduce the most challenging toxin defects from their yield.”
Bühler Sortex is a worldwide brand in optical sorting, with over 25,000 sorting machines worldwide and a global presence in more than 140 countries.