Global processing machinery manufacturer and member of Duravant’s Food Sorting and Handling Group, Key Technology, has launched its latest Compass optical sorter – with this edition optimised for fresh and IQF corn, peas and green beans.
Purpose-built for vegetable processors managing multiple SKUs, product medleys and frequent changeovers, Compass delivers precise, repeatable removal of foreign material (FM) and product defects across varied production requirements. Available in belt-fed configurations for fresh applications and chute-fed configurations for IQF, the company stated the technology protects product quality, reduces operational complexity and offers a strong return on investment.
Compass identifies and removes a wide range of FM and product defects, including stones, sticks, plastic, metal and extraneous vegetable matter, as well as discoloured or damaged product and large ice or frozen agglomerates in IQF applications. Object-based recognition and shape analysis enable the sorter to distinguish FM and defects that closely resemble good product, minimising false rejects.
For fresh corn, peas and green beans, Compass is configured as a belt-fed sorter for wet, debris-heavy environments where traditional optical systems often struggle to maintain consistent performance. The sorter can be installed at various points on the line as needed, including raw receiving and just ahead of freezing. Intelligent belt control offers automated belt tracking and optimal belt tensioning to minimise downtime while quick-release belt removal streamlines sanitation and maintenance.
For IQF vegetable applications, Compass is configured as a chute-fed sorter designed to identify and remove FM during final quality inspection. Capable of sorting virtually any vegetable including slices, dices and medleys, it can also detect product defects when sorting single-product runs. Optional high-powered ejectors provide the force needed to remove dense or heavy contaminants, including chunks of ice, while maintaining precise control to minimize false rejects.
Key Technology Americas president, Gina Maria Bonini, said vegetable processors are navigating more competitive markets with tighter margins, broader portfolios and leaner workforces.
“Equipment must carry more responsibility while asking less of the people running it,” said Maria Bonini.
“Compass reflects our decades of food processing expertise, bringing together our deep investment in sensing science and application engineering. It raises the bar for optical sorting performance while making it easy for facility teams to run, clean and maintain.”
Compass was developed with an open, washdown-ready hygienic design for harsh vegetable processing environments, with clear access to cameras and lighting for faster cleaning and protected internal components for reliable operation. It comes equipped with Key Discovery, an analytics and reporting software that collects, analyses and shares data that can be used to reveal trends in yield, reject rates, raw material variability and upstream performance.
The product features a modular design and is available in multiple sizes to satisfy a wide variety of customer applications and capacity requirements.
Key has a global service team, including an office in Victoria. More information on Compass and the company’s other solutions can be found at key.net.
