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High-Speed Soybean Counting
Application: Counting soybeans for packaging
Challenges: Various sizes of soybeans dropping in unpredictable locations
Solution: The D10 Fiber Optic Amplifier
Benefits: Reliable, consistent small object counting
In agricultural packaging applications, soybeans need to be quickly and accurately counted to ensure that each package is filled with the correct number of beans. Using a weight based system can result in widely varying amount of seed per bag due to differences in moisture content and seed size.
Since the exact locations of the soybeans as they drop are unpredictable, a fiber optic array with precise thresholds paired with a sensor possessing the high-speed electronics required to make split-second decisions is the ideal solution.
Description
To solve this application, Banner Engineering has paired the technology of the D10D Expert with fiber optic arrays optimized for small object counting to create the D10 Expert Small Object Counter.
The preconfigured fiber optic arrays of the Small Object Counter make alignment and object positioning control less critical than when using single point emitter and receiver fiber optic assemblies. This assures reliable, consistent small object counting.
The sensor itself has been customized for small object counting and offers features critical to the success of small object counting applications. In this application the environment may become dusty over time, so it’s important that the sensor can adjust to changing conditions. The sensor’s automatic compensation algorithm adapts the switching threshold to the environment in real time. Small changes due to dust or contamination on the fiber optic array or small changes caused by ambient temperature shifts are filtered out by the microcontroller. Also, the Health Mode Alarm will help determine when preventative maintenance should be scheduled. These features ensure long and trouble-free operation.
The Small Object Counter is simple to set up and configure, with the default settings providing superb performance and reliability for most applications. Comprehensive setup and configuration options are accessible through the advanced setup menu.
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