Key Technology Adds Laser to Optical Inspection

Key Technology Adds Laser to Optical Inspection Capabilities

March 31, 2005 - Key Technology announced today that it has added laser-sensing technology to its optical inspection capabilities, introducing Raptor Laser Technology. The new Optyx® G6 3000 Series Sorter with Raptor Laser Technology combines Key's proprietary state-of-the-art G6 color cameras and powerful G6 sorting platform with laser technology to maximize the simultaneous detection and removal of defects and foreign material, achieving unmatched product quality and optimizing food safety.

As the only Class I laser sorter in the food industry, Key's innovative Optyx G6 Sorter with Raptor Laser Technology sets a new standard in inspection performance and safety. Offering the highest spatial resolution laser scanner in food sorting, Raptor detects the smallest defects and foreign material.

With Key's high intensity discharge (HID) illumination system and G6 CCD-based camera technology, Optyx analyzes size and shape as well as millions of subtle color differences. Raptor Laser Technology reliably detects foreign matter based on differences in the optical properties of materials. G6’s image processing muscle is applied to images from both the G6 cameras and the Raptor Laser Technology. Combining the industry’s most sophisticated color sorting with new laser technology achieves the most complete sort, maximizing the removal of defects and foreign matter in the product stream while improving recovery rates.

Key's new Optyx G6 Sorter with Raptor Laser Technology is ideal for packaging lines handling up to six tons of product per hour. With superior detection of defects and foreign material, Optyx with Raptor eliminates costly hand-sorting labor and offers rapid payback. When located on the packaging line immediately upstream of final packaging, the new sorter assures processors and their customers that packaged products meet specifications.

Based on Key's powerful G6 electro-optical platform, Optyx offers the most advanced image processing in the industry. Featuring a modular design and proven, high-performance connectivity standards such as Camera Link™, FireWire® and Ethernet, Key’s new Optyx G6 3000 Series Sorter with Raptor Laser Technology delivers on the promise of the G6 architecture’s flexibility to engage new sensor technology. That same flexibility ensures forward compatibility to maximize a food processor’s long-term return on investment.

The Optyx G6 3000 Series features a 24-inch wide scan width and up to three sensors located above and/or below the product stream, depending on the needs of each application. The compact, self-contained unit slips easily into the processing line: Connect to air, power, and water, and start sorting. Optyx features a flat belt with air-tensioning for consistent tracking and minimal maintenance. The quick-release feature and easy-access cantilever design make belt replacement fast and simple.

The icon-based graphical user interface (GUI) is easy to learn and use, reducing operator training and simplifying optimum operation. The user interface integrates Raptor information, allowing the operator to see what the laser is “seeing.” This patented feature delivers more intuitive machine feedback to the operator, which allows for more accurate adjustment of accept/reject thresholds. Product settings can be stored and retrieved for fast product changeover. The GUI can reside locally on the sorter and can be accessed remotely via network or Internet, enhancing the flexibility in the operating environment and easing access for remote factory troubleshooting and application assistance. Sophisticated real-time and on-demand diagnostics help minimize and avoid costly downtime, and detect conditions that could compromise inspection.

Website: Key Technology - Walla Walla