How color sorters change the sorting process

　　If your processing plant is not using a high-quality optical sorter, you may be missing out on an indispensable technology that can improve your production capacity and product quality. Modern Color sorters eliminate the need for time-consuming and inefficient manual sorting. They can handle complex sorting that cannot be accomplished by traditional mechanical sorting, such as air screen cleaners, gravity concentrators, destoners, and creasing machines. These machines can improve your cleaning line's efficiency, accuracy, and quality. A wide range of models is available to match a variety of seed, food, grain, feed, and milling applications and plant capacity.

　　Many industries, especially agriculture and food processing, have found Color sorters to be an integral part of their operations due to their ability to remove dangerous foreign material such as glass and stone. These machines can quickly sort many different types of materials.

　　How do Color sorters work?

　　Color sorters, also known as Color sorters have had a transformative impact on seed and grain processing plants. They can identify the characteristics of the raw materials passing through the machine and sort them based on color, size, quality, and kernel defects. Rejected grains are ejected from the acceptable product along with other grains, foreign material such as stones and glass. Defective material is any material that contains impurities such as discolored fragments, foreign matter, damaged seeds, or diseased kernels. Using an optical sorter to remove these foreign materials can extend the life of downstream equipment while ensuring the safety of the finished product.

　　Most Color sorters use several types of high-definition cameras to view the kernels in the visible spectrum, just as the human eye does, but also to view the kernels at wavelengths outside the range that the human eye cannot see, allowing for more difficult separations. For example, dark grains and dark kernels appear the same color to the human eye, but cameras outside the wavelength range that the human eye cannot see can distinguish them and remove the kernels. The cameras in an optical sorter can be programmed to use a variety of sorting criteria: color, size, shape, texture, disease, and pests are some common examples. The imaging technology is so precise that the cameras can be fine-tuned to the exact color of the product and quickly reject mismatched products, which is very useful when consumers expect uniform products.

　　Modern Color Sorters vs. Traditional Methods

　　Years ago, before automated machines became widely available, all sorting was done manually. As you can imagine, this manual process was extremely time-consuming, inefficient, and inaccurate. Mechanical grain sorters were the next evolution in efficiency and quality in grain handling plants, and are still manufactured and used today in plants around the world. These mechanical sorters include air screen cleaners, toothed drum sorters, gravity concentrators, and destoners, to name a few. Modern plants are improving the quality and efficiency of mechanical sorting by adding color sorters as a new step in existing processes, or replacing them entirely in certain grains, to improve product quality and reduce operating costs. Color sorting technology can catch defects that the human eye can’t see, ensuring that product quality is consistent day after day and shift after shift, and adding a sorting tool with visual effects that mechanical sorters can’t achieve.

　　Maintenance and Care

　　Like any machine, color sorters need to be properly maintained to keep them performing at their best. Even the best color sorters can suffer from performance degradation if they are not cleaned or maintained. Regular maintenance is essential to protecting your investment and ensuring your operation runs smoothly.

　　It is critical to keep all parts of your color sorter clean and mechanically maintained. Dust filters need to be checked and cleaned regularly. Another way to extend the life of your machine is to monitor the air quality of the compressor. If you find that the compressed air contains moisture, oil, or dust, it may mean that the internal valve mechanism is faulty and needs to be replaced.

　　Once you have confirmed that the machine is clean and running well, check the performance of the software and sensors. While this basic monitoring is becoming increasingly automated, operators still need to keep a close eye on real-time conditions. For example, older color sorters may still require manual calibration, but newer generation color sorters eliminate this need through the use of internal calibration algorithms. Like any computer system, the color sorter's database and parameter settings need to be backed up regularly.

　　Of course, the best way to maintain your color sorter is to hire a professional like WESORT. Our experienced and certified technicians can perform regular preventive maintenance to help you protect your valuable equipment and avoid unexpected downtime.

　　Integrating a color sorter into your processing flow can save you time and money while improving your overall output and quality. To learn more about improving operational efficiency, check out our blog!