Modern food processing is safer than ever due to technology and stringent oversight, but no system is flawless. For instance, bacteria and foreign objects may enter food through cross-contamination or poor hygiene. Fruits and vegetables can decay or bruise at the subsurface level. Likewise, meats spoil, making them unfit for human consumption.
Available in GigE Vision or CameraLink interfaces, the Chromasens allPIXA SWIR camera features an InGaAs uncooled sensor for wavelengths from 950 to 1700 nm. The sensor delivers resolutions of 512 or 1k, high sensitivity, and a line frequency of 40 kHz. Image Credit: Chromasens GmbH
To support food manufacturers, Chromasens allPIXA SWIR (Short-wave Infrared) line scan cameras operate by detecting light in a wavelength range of 950 to 1700 nm, revealing defects hidden to standard machine vision cameras. Chromasens allPIXA SWIR cameras enable continuous non-invasive inspection for monitoring food quality and guaranteeing repeatability.
Chromasens allPIXA SWIR cameras leverage an advanced InGaAs uncooled sensor available as either a 1k pixel resolution camera with 12.5 µm pixels, or a 512 pixel resolution camera with larger 25 µm pixels. Both cameras deliver superior results at high speeds thanks to the sensitivity of the sensor and a line frequency of 40 kHz, making them ideal for non-visible analysis of foods on fast moving conveyor belts. Further adding to their versatility, allPIXA SWIR cameras are available in GigE Vision or CameraLink interfaces. The GenICam compliant GigE Vision interface allows an easy integration into automated food production lines.
Chromasens allPIXA SWIR line scan cameras will detect a variety of unseen characteristics in organic material, ranging from moisture levels, fat content, and subsurface bruising, as well as rooting out foreign objects such as bone fragments, stones or plastic. Additionally, the cameras can help in sorting fruits and vegetables based on ripeness, size, and shape. If a defect is revealed by the camera -- like high moisture levels in bread that can cause mold spores -- the damaged item is removed from the production line, ensuring safety and quality.
Importance of Lighting
The brightest, most homogeneous LED line scan lighting is required when deploying SWIR cameras, especially at high conveyor belt speeds. The Chromasens Corona II LED illumination line consists of a wide range of solutions for line scanning, including dark field LED illumination modules for ultra-fast SWIR inspection and sorting processes. For materials that differ in spectral range within the working range of a SWIR camera, narrowband LED light sources provide more homogeneous light distribution and better differentiation characteristics than broadband halogen light sources.
Chromasens has a complete solution package with SWIR cameras, software tools, and dark field LED illumination modules to help users achieve the best outcomes with their inspection and sorting processes.