Key Technology Introduces Manta® for Frozen Potato Products

Key Technology introduces Manta® for frozen potato products. Featuring Vis/IR (visible infrared) cameras and Raptor laser technology along with new, proprietary high intensity LED lighting, high flow ejector valves, and three-way ejection capability, this large capacity sorter, located immediately prior to packaging, assures final product is free of foreign material (FM) and objectionable process-generated material. With this new application, potato processors can now automate inspection of frozen product at the end of the production line to improve food safety and product quality while reducing labor costs.

Locating Manta at the end of the potato processing line helps assure the safety and quality of final product while simultaneously achieving additional benefits associated with improved process control and length control.

Adding Key’s new optional three-way sorting capability to Manta allows processors to produce a higher quality product without losing valuable product to the waste stream or requiring additional sorting for rework product. With three-way sorting, processors can send foreign material and critical defects to the first reject stream and convey this to waste without re-sorting or losing valuable yield. The second reject stream can receive short pieces and non-critical defects that can be reworked and recovered while the pass stream accepts only good product that matches production specifications.