Key Technology, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, announces they are teaming up with Bem Brasil, the largest potato processor in Brazil, to add a new state-of-the-art potato strip processing line to Bem’s Perdizes facility. This multimillion-dollar purchase includes six VERYX® digital sorters, an ADR EXOS® automatic defect removal system, three Sliver Sizer Removers and 57 Iso-Flo® vibratory conveyors on a line designed to process 30 metric tons of frozen French fries per hour. Bem chose to partner with Key to maximize food safety and consistently meet final product quality specifications while improving operating efficiencies and increasing yield.
“We selected Key for two primary reasons – their leadership in our industry and our trust in the company and their solutions,” said Walter Takano, Foreign Trade Manager at Bem Brasil. “Our confidence is based, in part, on years of experience with their Iso-Flo shakers on our other lines. To learn more about their VERYX sorters and ADR systems, we visited Key and then traveled to see the equipment operating at major potato processing facilities in North America and Europe. Overall, Key’s expertise and the reliability of their technology impressed us.”
Key will equip Bem’s VERYX sorters with its full suite of sorter intelligence tools as well as top- and bottom-mounted sensors to achieve full-surface inspection. The sorters immediately prior to packaging will also feature Key’s patented Pixel Fusion™ technology to find and remove even the most difficult-to-detect FM and defects immediately prior to packaging. Images of FM will be time-stamped and archived for retrieval utilizing Key’s FMAlert™ feature.
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VERYX combines all camera views into one all-surface analyzed object, which enables the sorters’ patented Sort-to-Grade (STG) software to automatically maintain final product specifications for both defect and/or length profile without operator intervention to increase yields and eliminate mechanical length grading. The sorters’ Information Analytics software exports real-time individual object data, allowing Bem to collect, analyze and share big data across the enterprise to reveal patterns, trends and associations, which can help optimize processes.
“Bem is the largest potato processor in Brazil and is committed to becoming a global leader by investing in state-of-the-art technology as they grow. We are honored that they have decided to partner with us,” said Bret Larreau, Director of InterCon Sales – Latin America and Asia Pacific at Key Technology. “Before they selected their suppliers, they took a close look at what other world-class French fry facilities are doing. The real-world examples of yield increases, food safety practices and process optimization achieved using tools such as our STG, FMAlert and Information Analytics, plus the reliability and consistency of our VERYX platform, made a compelling impression that led to securing this business. Additionally, they’re receiving great customer support locally from Schur, our sales and service rep in Brazil.
Takano concluded, “For us, the single most important thing is taking good care of our consumers. Working with Key, we’ll ensure we produce the ideal final product quality. At the same time, we expect to increase yield and reduce operating costs.”
