Key Technology, a member of Duravant’s Food Sorting and Handling Solutions group, introduced the COMPASS optical sorter for nuts. Designed to offer a high ROI and quick payback, the system identifies and removes undesirable product defects and foreign material (FM) such as shells, shell fragments, rocks and wood sticks.

Intended for sorting walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, peanuts, pecans, cashews and more, COMPASS finds and rejects a wide variety of FM and products defects such as small, loose and embedded shell fragments, membrane material, insect damage, surface scratches, color-based defects, rocks, sticks, plastics, paper and glass. Accurate color and shape grading enables processors to meet product quality specifications.

Recipe-driven operation ensures consistent sort performance on every product run. Operators can create and adjust sort recipes, including adding new products to sort, new grades or different varieties of an existing product. A new operator without any technical skills can reportedly learn how to operate the system in production in under 30 minutes.

COMPASS can be equipped with shortwave infrared (SWIR) InGaAs sensors and/or visible-infrared (RGB and IR) sensors to detect the color, size, shape and/or structural properties of every object, depending on the application. COMPASS is available with Key’s proprietary Pixel Fusion technology, a unique solution that combines pixel-level input from multiple sensor types to produce optimal contrasts for finding even the most difficult-to-detect FM and product defects.

Featuring a new, open-design mechanical architecture, COMPASS has no moving parts with the intent of reducing overall total cost of ownership. Sensor and light windows are positioned away from product splatter, so accurate inspection is sustained throughout long production cycles without operator intervention. The COMPASS architecture facilitates easy access for workers and minimizes cleaning and maintenance requirements.

COMPASS also features Key Discovery, a data analytics and reporting software that turns the sorter into an IIoT-connected device and information center for the customer’s operation.