Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/491374
STiR tea & coffee industry international 41 Broadband LED lighting improves illumination in SORTEX B Photo courtesy Buhler Group Optical sorting designers offer solutions Producers are faced with the challenge of eliminating these defects from their coffee supply without also removing good beans in the process. They need equipment that can find the errant beans and carefully extract it from the supply. Bühler Group, headquartered in Switzerland, has been in the optical sorting business for more than 60 years, developing solu- tions both for producers of foodstuffs like grain, nuts, spices and rice as well as non-food products like plastics. The company's SORTEX line provides this precision sorting for green or roasted robusta and arabica beans. SORTEX equipment combines the uses of high resolution color cameras, InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) cameras and PROfile technology, high pressure ejectors and feed mechanisms. InGaAs makes use of the fact that vegetation can absorb energy while other materials reflect it to target foreign material. These photodectors are therefore able to clearly high- light foreign materials that may be mixed in with the bean supply. PROfile technology analyzes the shape and color of the beans. SORTEX B meets the needs of mainstream commodity coffee with up to five chutes for high capacity sorting while SORTEX A is aimed at those with more challenging sorting requirements, and includes more advanced lighting and inspection technologies. "(Our equipment) optimizes capacity, sorting efficiency, and yield at a competitive price," said Charith Gunawardena, Büh- ler's head of optical sorting. "You need to get the right balance between these three factors to optimize the sorting performance required by the customer," said Gunawardena. With a heavy emphasis on the strong customer service base they have established globally, Bühler prides itself on being able to serve the entire value chain including green coffee growers, exporters, traders, importers, and roasters. XELTRON of Costa Rica aims to increase the producers' coffee volumes by "saving every good grain," said company president Andrea Castañeda. A leader in the industry for more than 40 years, XELTRON provides their customers with two critical solutions: a teflon coated chute system that maximizes sorting volume and a roller system that creates a cushion of air allowing each bean to be analyzed individually. The equipment can recognize a wide range of colors and defects so settings can be customized for changing needs across seasons. XELTRON has recently upgraded their electronics, making the systems more robust, allowing for a smaller footprint and a more ef- ficient process. "You guarantee your brand's prestige by main- taining a uniform appearance and a consistent quality," says Castañeda, "helping you increase your yield and accelerate the return on your investment." Photo closeups by www.moca-joes.blogspot.ca • The SCAA GACCS determines the conversion or equivalent of single defects to full defects. • The numbers of full defects are calculated on a basis of 350 grams of green coffee sample. • Bean imperfections need to have the specific bean characteris- tics and criteria as they appear on the picture and physical description in the Defect Handbook to be considered a defect. • A full defect can be a Category 1 (primary) or a Category 2 (secondary) defect. • Specialty Grade samples must have zero Category 1 defects and no more than five Category 2 defects. • A full defect is composed of one or more single defects depending on the impact each one has on the cup. •In the case that more than one defect is observed in a coffee Common Green Coffee Defects The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Green Arabica Coffee Classification System (GACCS) Protocols: bean, it shall be counted only as the defect that has the greatest impact on the quality of the cup, (the defects listed first in the SCAA Green Arabica Defect Handbook are considered to have the greatest impact on cup quality). • The SCAA GACCS only defines two grades of coffee, Specialty Grade and Premium Grade. • Where several beans are considered a full defect (such as 5 broken beans = 1 full defect) the calculation must be shown. To order English or Spanish editions of The SCAA Arabica Green Coffee Defect Handbook, visit www.scaa.org ($35 spiral bound on hard board)