An integrated system, onCore, combines a vibratory density separation shaker with a camera/laser sorter for processing iceberg and romaine lettuces in bagged salads. It eliminates manual coring and removes foreign material and product defects from the production line. Its three-deck Iso-Flo density separation shaker uses gravity and directional airflow to remove 85 to 90 percent of the core and spread product to present it to a downstream sorter. The sorter is equipped with a combination of Raptor laser technology and tri-chromatic color cameras. The laser detects differences in the structural properties of objects to remove pieces of core and foreign material. The cameras determine each object’s size, shape, and color to identify and remove defects.
Key Technology Inc.; 509-529-2161; www.key.net
