Miller Magazine Issue: 113 May 2019

35 NEWS MAY 2019 data to optimize a conventional narrow band digital cam- era so that it is capable of quickly and efficiently detecting very specific things, whether it is shells in nuts, foreign materials in a vegetable production line or even different grades of polymers in a recycling plant,” explains Bene- dict Deefholts, Senior Research Engineer Bühler UK Ltd. Over the past four years Bühler has used this tech- nology to produce a range of specialist cameras for dif- ferent markets. Its BioVision™ camera is targeted at the nut industry, PolarVision™ aimed at producers of frozen vegetable and PolyVision™ designed to improve plastic recycling rates. One of the criteria for a Queen’s Award is that the technology should not just be innovative, but it must also be scalable, commercially viable and to have resulted in a material improvement to a commercial process. Since the introduction of the Sortex E optical sorter using BioVi- sion technology, sales of Bühler sorting solutions into the nut sector have doubled. The technology is now being used by the world’s top nut producers globally to detect blemished nuts along with the smallest shell fragments in walnuts, pecans and pistachios. Similar inroads are being made into the frozen veg- etable market thanks to the ability of PolarVision tech- nology to detect even the most challenging foreign material in frozen vegetable production lines. Ardo, one of the world’s largest fresh-frozen fruit, vegetable and herb producers, has introduced PolarVision in its European sorting plants. “In our experience, PolarVision technology is one of the best digital-vision technologies when it comes to detect- ing FM in the industrial frozen vegetables process. It’s a jump forward”, said Steven Van Engelandt, Ardo’s Group Project Engineer. “We tested all other options, including laser, chlorophyll, translucency, but PolarVision was unsurpassed and it’s be- coming standard in all our plants. When we were testing PolarVision, formerly problematic FM such as snails and dark plastic, became visible, and were removed, with an increase in yields, due to a more precise detection of defects.” The Bühler camera technology is also being used to de- tect foreign material and lower grade or discolored poly- mers to ensure the highest grade recyclate can be achieved by plastic recyclers. By detecting such high rates of con- tamination, it is now possible to produce food grade plastic packaging from 100% recycled material, cutting the need for virgin plastic production and levels of plastic being sent to landfill. While the technology has so far been applied to detect foreign materials, future developments will also be able to detect mycotoxins and even pathogens. “We are absolutely delighted to be receiving this ‘sev- enth’ Queen’s award. Innovation is at the heart of our business and it’s wonderful to see another cutting edge product making a big impact in the market; on food safety, food quality and of course generating commercial success for our customers,” says Matthew Kelly, Managing Direc- tor of Digital Technologies within the Bühler Group. PolarVision Camera assembly in Bühler clean room