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Key Technology is a global leader in the design and manufacture of automated food processing equipment including digital sorters, conveyors, and other processing systems.

When a proven sorter recipe suddenly stops delivering the same results, changing the recipe may be the wrong first move ...
10/27/2026

When a proven sorter recipe suddenly stops delivering the same results, changing the recipe may be the wrong first move ❌

Flow instability, dirty optics, environmental conditions, or maintenance issues can all change sorting performance even when the inspection settings haven’t.

In a new Processing Magazine article, Key’s Bret Larreau looks at optical sorting as part of the larger processing system and shares practical questions operators can ask when results start to shift: https://www.processingmagazine.com/process-control-automation/article/55403646/key-technology-practical-factors-behind-better-optical-sorting

The optical sorter made the right decision. Then the good product hit the discharge chute too hard. Outfeed design affec...
10/21/2026

The optical sorter made the right decision. Then the good product hit the discharge chute too hard.

Outfeed design affects what happens after inspection. Poor discharge geometry can cause breakage or bruising, while ejector airflow can push mist or dust back toward camera windows and interfere with inspection over time.

A few things belong in the conversation during line design, not afterward:
⚙️ product trajectory
⚙️ impact points
⚙️ speed transitions
⚙️ airflow

The sorter doesn’t operate in isolation. Protecting product quality means engineering the path into, through and out of the inspection system.

Rocks. Dirt clods. Sticks. Insects. Animal material. For leafy greens processors, those can all arrive at the plant mixe...
10/19/2026

Rocks. Dirt clods. Sticks. Insects. Animal material. For leafy greens processors, those can all arrive at the plant mixed in with the good product.

And the product itself doesn’t make inspection easy. Lightweight, moist leaves tend to clump, overlap and stick together, making consistent presentation especially important.

Belt-fed COMPASS can inspect leafy greens before washing to remove difficult foreign material early in the process. Proper infeed handling helps spread and present the leaves consistently so the sorter gets a clearer view while protecting good product from unnecessary rejection.

🌱 For leafy greens, what happens before the cameras see the product matters just as much as the sensing technology itself.

Product portfolios rarely stay still. More frequent changeovers, shorter production runs and evolving product mixes are ...
10/16/2026

Product portfolios rarely stay still.

More frequent changeovers, shorter production runs and evolving product mixes are putting more pressure on conveying systems to handle a wider range of products and capacities without extensive physical changes. The goal is flexibility without adding complexity 🔄

That means designing conveyors from the start to accommodate changing process requirements while minimizing changeover time and operator intervention. Sanitation and operator safety also need to stay part of that equation.

For processors, the best conveyor design isn’t just the one that fits today’s product. It’s the one that can adapt as production changes while maintaining consistent performance.

An optical sorter can tell you much more than what passed and what was rejected. For example, consider where that infor...
10/13/2026

An optical sorter can tell you much more than what passed and what was rejected.

For example, consider where that information can go next for a potato strip processor:
At receiving → compare potato quality by lot or supplier and support payment programs that reward better incoming product.
After peeling → detect remaining peel and use that information to help control peeler dwell time.
Across production → use Key Discovery data analytics software to turn object-level inspection data into visibility on quality and process conditions 📊

The next step in optical sorting isn’t simply making better accept/reject decisions. It’s putting the information behind those decisions to work elsewhere in the process.

Nine metric tons per hour. Twelve different vegetables. Around-the-clock production. That’s the application Mexico-based...
10/08/2026

Nine metric tons per hour. Twelve different vegetables. Around-the-clock production.

That’s the application Mexico-based food processor La Huerta needed its optical sorter to handle.

Key integrated a VERYX sorting system with two upstream Iso-Flo vibratory conveyors, one to remove clusters and small fines and another to optimize product presentation before inspection. The results:
🥦 Changeovers in under five minutes across a diverse product mix
📈 35% less product recirculated to recover good product
👥 Four visual inspection workers per shift reallocated to other roles

For La Huerta, the value came not just from adding a sorter, but from engineering the conveying and inspection process as a system. Read the full story at ProFood World: https://www.profoodworld.com/food-safety/inspection/article/22921066/frozen-vegetable-processor-lowers-labor-with-inline-product-inspection

Sanitation time is often determined long before the sanitation crew starts cleaning. One advantage of vibratory conveyin...
10/06/2026

Sanitation time is often determined long before the sanitation crew starts cleaning.

One advantage of vibratory conveying is what isn’t in the product-contact area. There are no belts, pulleys or geared components to clean around, and no belting that can fray or break off into product.

Before buying, ask the supplier to walk you through the cleaning process 🧼 How many parts come off? What tools are required? How easily can the crew access product-contact areas?

Those practical questions can tell you much more about sanitation time and maintenance than a general claim about “sanitary design.”

For leafy greens, sorting performance starts before the cameras ever see the product 🔎🍃 Spinach, spring mix and other l...
09/28/2026

For leafy greens, sorting performance starts before the cameras ever see the product 🔎🍃

Spinach, spring mix and other leafy greens are lightweight, often moist and difficult to control. Without the right handling, leaves can clump, overlap or stick together, limiting how clearly the sorter can inspect the product stream.

That makes product presentation a critical part of the sorting system.
→ Conveyors can dewater product, remove fines and provide a controlled, consistent flow
→ Optional air-assist at the infeed helps keep lightweight leaves moving into the inspection zone
→ Air knives at discharge help good product continue smoothly through the pass stream

The goal is simple: gently separate and present a difficult product so the optical sorter gets a clear, consistent view for effective inspection while protecting good leaves.

A defect on one part of a potato strip shouldn’t mean losing the whole strip 🍟 That principle has always been at the hea...
09/25/2026

A defect on one part of a potato strip shouldn’t mean losing the whole strip 🍟

That principle has always been at the heart of Key Technology’s ADR systems, which align, singulate and inspect wet potato strips, then precisely trim only the affected area to recover more usable product.

The new ADR X, introduced earlier this year, builds on that proven approach with upgrades designed for today’s potato processing demands. Enhanced multi-channel sensing improves identification of challenging defects such as green discoloration, while recipe-driven mechanics automatically adjust alignment and cutter positioning for different cut sizes.

ADR X also features a redesigned hygienic architecture and reinforced endless belts that simplify maintenance and support reliable performance through long production runs.

The result is more precise defect removal, better recovery of good product and less intervention as processing conditions and product sizes change: https://www.key.net/en/products/adr-x-automatic-defect-removal/

09/11/2026

Walnut sorting has to do two things at once: remove defects reliably while protecting delicate kernels from unnecessary damage.

That balance is especially important when processors need to manage shell fragments, membrane material and other defects without sacrificing good product.

🎥 In this video, see how Key Technology’s COMPASS optical sorter supports walnut processors with:
→ Gentle product handling designed to reduce skin damage and meal
→ Recipe-driven operation for consistent results across shifts
→ Accessible inspection areas that simplify cleaning and maintenance
→ Key Discovery software that helps reveal trends in yield, rejects and incoming product

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150 Avery Street
Walla Walla, WA
99362

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