Farmers Review Africa Nov-Dec 2018 Farmers Review November-December 2018-6 | Page 22

FEATURE
©PETKUS GROUP
the standard compared to common
cleaning technologies”, says Vieth.
“But that doesn’t implicate that the
development is at its end.” That is the
reason why in the PETKUS Group,
a dedicated team is continuously
evaluating optical components to
scrutinise their own technologies,
whether they are the benchmark or
how they can be further improved.
“We are in permanent exchange and
partnership with scientific institutes in
order to future-proof our optical sorter
portfolio”, says Vieth.
The market is constantly screened for
advanced components, and cameras
are tested in the ROEBER optical
laboratory in Karlsruhe (Germany) that
is not only associated but also locally
in close touch with nearby research
and development partners.
The Karlsruhe office successfully
applied for the “Karlsruher Business
Innovation Program”. Within this
“Innovation Program”, the office for
economic development of the city
20 |November - December 2018
of Karlsruhe cooperates with the
European Organization for Sustainable
Development GmbH (EOSD).
High resolution cameras and long-
life LEDs alone are no assurance
for good sorting performance. The
synchronisation of the optical system,
the hardware-software package as
well as the design of the optical boxes
and the ejection play an essential role
when it comes to clear recognition
of defects. On the hardware side,
it means that the sensitivity of
the cameras and the power of the
illumination have to be sufficient.
Regarding software, the deep
or machine learning offers new
possibilities, and there is a steady
development noticeable. Big data
analysis is especially for optical sorters
a great chance for improved software
programs. Automatic teach-in programs
help operators to adjust the machine
more easily to different sorting tasks.
The easier it looks for the operator,
the more complicated it is in the
background and the more knowledge
is needed with regard to the evaluation
and validation of algorithms. “When I
compare our first TeachNSort software
package with the actual TeachNSort
Smart+, there was a lot of work done and
improvements for the benefit of our clients
and the sorting accuracy”, says Vieth.
Camera resolution is widely discussed
and is considered to give information
about sorting accuracy. “That is true to
a certain degree”, says Vieth.
“But without appropriate object
splitting algorithms, a single seed
analysis during high capacity operation
is weak, just to give an example.”
Knowing about the details and the
pitfalls of optical sorting systems, Vieth is
sure about the PETKUS/ROEBER optical
sorter series “OS”, that the package is
the most sophisticated and complete.
Optical sorting systems
Another key component is the
illumination. The wavelength, the