Lasers and Foreign Materials

I have been hearing more and more about foreign material (FM) removal systems being placed into potato applications. Primarily in whole potato applications (typically downstream of peeling) but also some finished product units, particularly frozen, just before packaging.

I am hearing that people are installing some systems that do not use laser.

WHAT!!!????!!!!!

These are systems that use various sensors to detect light wavelengths in the near IR. Kind of like what Key did with Vis/IR cameras for FM before we developed the first flying spot laser with less than 0.6mm spot size. And the first digital laser of any spot size. Infrared is good enough, they say, and less expensive.

Less expensive, sure, until you find you need laser anyway.

You see, foreign material removal is not really something that you justify with ROI. It is catastrophic event-based. Foreign material gets into consumer product, and once in a while, all hell breaks loose. Recalls costing millions. Lawsuits costing more. And in the end, people lose their jobs for the decisions they make.

How do you put an ROI on that?

Sure, some measure the rate of customer complaints, and the cost of dealing with them, on a monthly or annualized basis. They pencil out a number that they spend per period, and try to justify their purchase by the amount of reduction of that cost. As if FM events and their effects come at a predictable rate! They are totally missing the point. "Good enough" is really not.

People who say that lasers are not necessary usually don't have a laser to sell, they are simply selling what they have. Listen at your own peril.

If you are making the equipment decision and justification for foreign material removal, what technology do you put your own personal reputation on? Just IR? Or laser plus IR plus other camera wavelengths in a total solution? I wrote last year about FM and lasers (http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/05/lasers-basics.html, http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/06/how-laser-sorters-work.html and http://potatoprocessing.key.net/2008/06/lasers-or-cameras-or-both.html.

Understand that IR (especially SWIR, using an InGasAs sensor) detects water content, and so can remove foreign materials that include little or no water. You might be surprised at how many materials include enough water to be missed by such a device.

Come to the PPI convention on the 25th and I will fill you in on more details.

Read, learn, and choose laser plus cameras for FM control. After all, it is your career.

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