From Left to Right: Optical sorter cake replica & Bühler UK Staff London (United Kingdom), June 21, 2022 – After 75 years of continuous innovation, SORTEX has marked the special occasion with a trip down memory lane – including recollections of the company’s origins, the first ever SORTEX optical sorter developed, and how SORTEX continues to put its customers first by responding to the latest trends and requirements, such as food safety, sustainability and digitalization. SORTEX – part of the Bühler Group, founded in 1860 – has been a
pioneer in optical sorting since 1947. Through its processing technologies
and machines located within customer factories, today Bühler has a hand in
processing over 60% of the world’s grain and 30% of the world’s rice. A focus on sustainability SORTEX also excels in sorting used plastic, which is key to
improving the quality of materials for recycling. SORTEX equipment can
separate PET from PVC, HDPE and other materials, making it possible to remake
bottles and other products from uncontaminated recycled plastic. Bühler has
collaborated with companies such as Coca-Cola to help them reach their goal
of using more recycled plastic. SORTEX sorters can sort through approximately 300 commodities
within 13 different food and non-food segments. Having evolved from a
UK-oriented company, SORTEX now has a far-reaching global footprint with
development teams and production sites all over the world. With its
headquarters based in a newly developed office space in East London, SORTEX
is regarded as one of the most highly trusted technology providers for
sorting solutions in the industry. The start of something great The first sorter to be developed was the G1. Called Gunson's
SORTEX Electronic Separator, this was a machine which could separate
undesirable, discolored or vari-colored products. The G1 could sort peas,
beans, corn, small grains, coffee beans, nuts and other applications of
similar size. Melvyn Penna, Product Manager at Bühler states: “When we started
out 75 years ago, sorting was not widely required. There was a requirement
for oil seeds and agri seeds, in other words, the high value crops. But
sorting was not as widely spread as it is today.” He adds: “Capacity per hour on the original G1 sorter back in
1947 was 10 kg on oil seeds. Today, capacity of our sorters is 10,000 kg on
oil seeds! In the last 75 years, our sorting capacity and accuracy, the
number of application fields, and, consequently, the business, have all grown
considerably.” A new era in optical sorting Alexander Proemer, Director Head of Business Unit SORTEX, adds:
“For over a decade, we were adding more and more features to keep the SORTEX
Z as up to date as possible, including shape recognition, shape sorting,
infrared, modules, and InGaAs. We then opened new markets in nuts, fruits,
and vegetables industries with the launch of our SORTEX F machine in 2014.
With its stainless steel structure, the F machine is still the safest machine
on the market in terms of food safety!” A commitment to food safety Food safety is vital. The World Health Organization states that eating
contaminated food causes 420,000 deaths a year globally. Ensuring hygienic
design at every stage of food processing can play a major role in reducing
this risk. Not only does it help ensure food safety, it also increases
productivity for processors by reducing cleaning and changeover time and the
need for maintenance. Most SORTEX sorters today are built using the highest grade
stainless steel. Machines feature open access designs for quick and easy
cleaning to prevent the build-up of harmful bacteria. Additionally, sloped
surfaces ensure that any product residue runs off, further reducing the
chance of product build-up. Full color and InGaAs cameras ensure absolute
adherence to food safety regulations by removing all traces of foreign
material (FM). Industry 4.0 readiness By turning machine and process data into valuable insights,
SORTEX sorters are one step closer to becoming fully autonomous. This is a
direct response by Bühler to the growing global challenges of skilled labor
shortages, increased uncertainties in product availability and quality, as
well as upcoming stricter regulations on product traceability. “Bühler has always been at the forefront of innovation and our
research and development teams are working on tomorrow’s innovations today,”
says Carmen Schlatter Broger, Head of Business Area Digital
Technologies. Ongoing recognition and recent developments SORTEX has won seven Queen’s Awards since 1968 for its various
technological developments, most recently in recognition of its pioneering
research into camera technology used in sorting machines. The Queen’s Award
for Enterprise is the highest UK award for British businesses that have
excelled in the fields of international trade, innovation, or sustainable
development. Indeed, Bühler SORTEX is relentless in its mission to set ever
more technological milestones. This is evident from its latest development
known as MerlinAi. MerlinAi is the new brain of Bühler’s SORTEX optical
sorting machines. Its advanced multi-layer sorting algorithms ensure a
consistently higher yield for processors, with less good product lost in the
reject stream. Celebrating the people behind the brand She adds: “Our SORTEX staff have weathered the challenging times
of Covid-19, alongside the accompanying highs and lows of the business. Due
to the passion, resilience, and endurance they’ve maintained, the brand is
what it is today. We look forward to celebrating another 75 years of
innovation and hope you will all join us in this exciting journey ahead!” -By Bühler Group |Source: Email/GFMM |
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