Insort is the first company to offer optical monitoring and sorting systems for food processes on the basis of Chemical Imaging Technology (CIT®). This novel technology makes it possible to draw a chemical picture of food in real time fit for industrial purposes and with a very good local resolution.
Thanks to this, product defects and foreign bodies can be detected and ejected independently from their colour, shape, density and surface. Problem resolutions that have not been dreamed of until now (e.g. sorting processes according to different distribution of sugar in food or top safety and certainty in detection of impurities) have already been implemented successfully in large-scale industry.
Please find out more about the efficiency and capabilities of CIT and the Sherlock range of products here or at our website.
Chemical imaging technology for quality assurance in food
The heart of the facilities is formed by a highly sensitive innovative camera system based on near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The system will provide spectral information with local resolution in real time. This information will be converted to a coloured image by using mathematical models. These images will make it possible to derive the chemical composition of the object that has been recorded (CIT).
The information content of this technology is much higher than, for example, that of single-line optical cameras. For this reason, use for e.g. optical sorting of bulk materials can be much more selective than the techniques presently common on the market. Now progress in speed of data processing and affordable hardware for these enormous data volumes opens up economically efficient applications in the monitoring and sorting of food.
Thanks to this, impurities or defects that are completely invisible for the human eye can be localised purely on the basis of the different chemical composition of food and can then be removed from the product flow.
Sherlock Separator – CIT-based optical sorter for potatoes and other food products
The Sherlock Separator, which is a further development of the Sugar End Remover, is a high-tech sorting machine that is capable of detecting and safely ejecting sugar ends on raw potatoes as well as all the impurities and many other defects. CIT works, no matter whether the defect is visible for the human eye or not. Differences in the shape, colour and density are not necessary; what is decisive is the chemical difference. The product flow will be separated into three different qualities, which can be determined individually.
In addition, the integrated Peel Scanner helps to control the vapour peeler and thus to minimise product losses and maximise the quality of the product.
Sherlock Air – CIT-based optical sorter for fruit, vegetable and nuts
The Sherlock Air has been designed for sorting food in small diameters, such as fruit, vegetable or nuts. The products will be scanned by CIT on one or two sides in free descent. Right after this, defects will be ejected by air nozzles. Safety and certainty in detection of impurities that have not been reached up to now, as well as the opportunity of sorting according to substances contained (e.g. sugar content for grapes), turn this machine into a real wonder in terms of performance.
Sherlock Observer – CIT-based food monitoring and final inspection
Now CIT makes it possible to detect impurities with a certainty that is much higher than that achieved when using visual optical sorting processes. The Sherlock Observer enables a final inspection of any product flows and serves as a ‘chemical eye’, warning the user of impurities or other defects. The impurities no longer need to be ‘taught in’. It is the spectrum of the product that will be taught in as a positive reference. Impurities that do not correspond to this spectrum will automatically be detected as such.
Furthermore, the Sherlock Observer can furnish process data in different processing levels on the basis of the chemical composition of food. Thus this product offers highly economically efficient applications in process management and food safety.
Tailored optical monitoring and sorting systems for food processes
We would be pleased to have the honour and privilege to review your problem and elaborate a tailored solution for you. Please test us and our products. Facilities can also be leased.