Key Technology’s Pixel Fusion helps nut and dried fruit processors meet the most stringent requirements for product quality and purity. By providing a clear distinction between good product, shell, foreign material (FM), defects, and different color grades, Pixel Fusion improves the accuracy of digital sorting. This effectiveness reduces the number of sorting passes required to make grade and virtually eliminates false rejects, which maximizes productivity and yield, while consistently achieving the target product quality level.
 
Veryx sorters equipped with Pixel Fusion identify and remove loose and embedded shell fragments, membrane material, broken nuts, product with surface scratches or insect damage, moisture-related defects, moldy product, color-based defects and FM, including wood chips, stems, rocks, glass, and more, to satisfy consumers’ zero-tolerance for impurities. Tailored to meet the unique detection requirements of each application, Veryx with Pixel Fusion is ideal for sorting walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, pecans, cashews, and dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, cranberries, apricots, figs, and dates.
 
Pixel Fusion is an advanced detection module that combines pixel-level input from multiple cameras and laser scanners sharing the same line of sight to create a unique, unambiguous ‘signature’ for each type of substance in the product stream. Compared to other detection methods that do not collect data from the same pixel at the same time, Pixel Fusion more precisely differentiates good product, shell, FM, and defects, enabling Veryx to recognize and eject previously difficult-to-detect FM and subtle product defects such as wormholes.
 
“Nut and dried fruit customers using Veryx with Pixel Fusion achieve their final quality specifications with fewer inspection cycles and almost no good product in the reject stream. By reducing the number of sorting passes, productivity is increased while product degradation is reduced. Improving good product recovery maximizes yield,” said Marco Azzaretti, advanced inspection systems product manager at Key. “Customers around the world with installed systems tell us they have up to 1.5 percent less good product in their reject stream since they started using Veryx with Pixel Fusion compared to their previous sorter.”
 
Pixel Fusion combines input from Key’s next-generation cameras and laser sensors. The four-channel cameras distinguish millions of different colors, which enable the most accurate color grading and detection of color-based defects, as well as the size and shape of each object. The laser scanners recognize the structural properties of each object’s surface for superior FM detection as well as product texture and moisture analysis.
 
These cameras and laser sensors offer twice the resolution of previous generation sorters to identify smaller shell fragments, FM and defects. The accuracy of the Veryx detection system is paired with a new, high-resolution ejection system, which features the closest spacing between air nozzles of any sorter in order to better target and remove undesirable objects. Intelligent software manages the air nozzles’ actuation strategy to suit the size, shape, and weight of each object being removed. The combined precision of the detection and ejection systems results in the most complete removal of shells, FM, and targeted product defects without sacrificing good product to the reject stream.
 
Key Technology Inc., Walla Walla, WA 509-529-2161 www.key.net

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