FOOD, FEED & BEVERAGES

Citrus Fruit Sorting

tec5USA Spectrometer for Brix Measurement of Citrus Fruits

A spectrometer system has been designed by tec5USA to efficiently capture the 500 to 950 nm (nanometer) wavelength range crucial for determining Brix levels in fruit. This setup simplifies in-process measurements by positioning the light source directly above the oranges, ensuring accurate illumination. Notably, this technology provides accurate Brix measurements for citrus fruits, even at high speeds. It excels in predicting Brix values for various citrus varieties, including naval oranges, categorizing them within the 8 to 16 °Bx range. This enhances the differentiation between low and high Brix categories, supporting effective sorting and binning strategies. Furthermore, the robustness of this technology has been validated, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool for data-driven sorting and binning strategies in industrial applications.

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Benefits of Real-Time Brix Analysis during Fruit Sorting

Real-time Brix analysis of citrus fruits sorting offers significant economic advantages through the utilization of VIS/NIR spectrometer technology, providing accuracy, reliability, and efficiency.
– Accurate Sorting: Real-time Brix measurements enable sorting based on sweetness, ensuring consistent fruit quality, supporting tailored packaging, and pricing strategies for diverse customer preferences.
– Increased Value: Precise sorting by Brix levels minimizes the occurrence of mixed-sweetness bins, leading to higher yields of premium produce.
– Enhanced Efficiency: Data-driven sorting optimizes operations, resulting in reduced labor costs and improved overall efficiency.

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Integration into existing sorting lines

The spectrometer, in conjunction with the Distance Measurement Head (DMH), seamlessly integrates into any existing single-pass sorting line. Positioned above the conveyor belt before the sorter, the DMH enables real-time utilization of the Brix signal for sorting during production. Informed by the signal from each orange, effective binning and sorting strategies can be executed. tec5USA supports various communication protocols, including Modbus, Profibus, OPC, Digital, and Analog I/O, 4-20mA, ensuring smooth connectivity and integration of the spectrometer software into the automation environment. Whether triggered by a light gate or directly by industrial control system such as PLC, DCS, and SCADA, each recording provides the Brix value for precise sorting strategy optimization.

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    Frequently Asked Questions at tec5USA

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    Raman spectroscopy is a technique which is used for several markets. These industries include Oil and Gas, Pharmacology, Biotechnology, Petrochemistry and many others. Due to the high selectivity of Raman spectroscopy, it is a powerful tool for many applications including, hydrocarbon analysis, bioreactor protein monitoring, crystallization monitoring, API concentration, polymer identification, surfactant analysis, natural gas components and several others....

    Typical applications include white light interference for thin film analysis, UV absorption of proteins for quantitative analysis, colorimetry, impurity detection in water, cleaning validation for API manufacturing, polymerization inhibitor monitoring, electroplating bath monitoring....

    NIR spectroscopy is utilized across a variety of industries for qualitative and quantitative product analysis. Typical industries include Chemistry, Pharmacology, Food Feed & Beverage, Agriculture, and others. NIR spectroscopy is well suited for species containing C-H, N-H & O-H bonds, making it a wide-range technology for a variety of applications such as moisture, fat, oil, alcohol, APIs, polymers, etc....

    Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction of light with matter. Light covers a broad range of the electromagnetic spectrum from high energy ultra violet (UV) photons to the near infrared (NIR), with the visible spectrum that we can see being in between. These different portions of the spectrum are important because they interact with matter in different ways. In the UV, these photons have high energy and therefore can induce electronic transitions, while the NIR photons can cause molecules to vibrate at unique frequencies. The way that we measure where compounds absorb light is by taking a spectrum, which is a graph showing the transmission of light as a function of the wavelength. All compounds have a unique absorption spectrum which can be used to identify the chemical composition of samples....

    The spectroscopic methodology is determined by which parameters are important to monitor during a process. For example, if you want to monitor protein concentration in a bioreactor, in which the biosynthesis takes place in an aqueous medium, then you likely would want to use Raman spectroscopy for the application, as water does not contribute to the Raman signal. Alternatively, if moisture content is important, water has very strong absorption in the NIR due to several vibrational and combination modes that can be monitored; water is transparent in the UV and visible spectral region. Understanding which chemical is important as there could be various factors that influence the choice of methodology....

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