Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, has introduced its VERYX digital sorters for fresh-cut, hydroponically grown leafy greens.
The sorters, according to a news release, integrate with Iso-Flo vibratory conveyors to find and remove defective product, as well as foreign materials., to improve product quality while simultaneously increasing yield.
“Demand for hydroponic leafy greens is skyrocketing for a variety of reasons – superior taste, minimal water usage, zero pesticides and production location flexibility, since environmentally-controlled greenhouses can be built virtually anywhere,” Marco Azzaretti, director of marketing at Key, said in the release. “Hydroponic greens are a premium product, typically costing two or three times the price of traditional, field-raised greens. Hydroponic growers must consistently achieve the best quality to meet their customers’ high expectations. They want every single leaf to be perfect. This is why they partner with Key.”
VERYX is the only belt-fed leafy greens sorter that can inspect product entirely in-air with top and bottom sensors to see all sides of the product with no blind spots, according to the release.
Analyzing the color, size and shape of every object in the product stream, VERYX removes imperfect, misshapen, discolored, bruised, broken or torn greens, the release said.
VERYX can be equipped with Key’s proprietary Pixel Fusion technology, which combines pixel-level input from multiple cameras and laser scanners to create a unique ‘signature’ for each type of substance in the product stream, according to the release.
