Watch Out For World Premiere Of TOMRA's Sentinel II At CLFP Expo 2015

TOMRA Sorting Food is to unveil its state-of-the-art Sentinel II sorter for the tomato and peach processing industry at the CLFP Food Processing Expo.

Sentinel II is a highly efficient, cost-effective, sorting solution that has been engineered with seasonal processors in mind. It offers a high degree of flexibility and can be configured to meet different specific requirements along the production line. Sentinel II offers low, medium or high speed modes depending upon the specific application sort requirements.

When it comes to tomato sorting, Sentinel II outshines its competitors in terms of sorting efficiency, capacity, technical specification and durability. With three different sorter size offerings, Sentinel II covers a capacity range of 40-200 tons/hour making it an ideal solution for the seasonal processor seeking off-color, defect and foreign material control.

Sentinel II allows for a range of factory configurations so customers may choose, for example, to order a one or two camera inspection system in order to best meet individual process needs and to deliver a higher quality final product with less manual grading and downtime.

Sentinel II’s high resolution sensors and simple user interface allow the customer to set the sorter to reject a broad range of defects such as green, sunburn, mold, anthracnose rot or worm damage while also removing foreign materials such as cotton stalks, corn cobs, plastic, glass, metal, wood bone and animal matter. An enhanced, patented, high-speed rejection system efficiently removes defects and foreign material, operating at higher speeds than previous models.

Jim Frost, TOMRA Sorting Food Market Unit Manager for whole product sorting, says: “Food processors will appreciate the flexibility and efficiency that TOMRA’s Sentinel II brings to their production lines.

“Sentinel II can be tailored to customer requirements and sorting can be refined to such a degree that small mold spots and other discolorations can be removed to produce high quality fruit to be processed.

“This element of adaptability means Sentinel II is a cost-effective option for processors of all sizes and generates an attractive return on investment. In addition, the positioning of the machine in the production line is not restricted; it can be placed in various locations prior to or post peeler meaning customers can operate their production lines in a way that is most efficient for them.”

Sentinel II has been designed with ease-of-use in mind so that operators get the best value from their machine.

During trials, customers have given positive feedback on the ‘open plan’ design of the Sentinel II which, they say, makes it easier to operate and maintain, as well as aiding in the sanitation process.

An intelligent user interface allows operators to access data about the type of defects being identified permitting operators to adjust sorting quality quickly if required. Furthermore, the user control system can offer diagnostics and maintenance information to highlight any potential problems with sorting before they occur.

Mr Frost says: “The launch of Sentinel II demonstrates our commitment to being at the forefront of developing innovative, cost-effective sorting machines which address the needs of the food industry. Its development is part of our long term vision to offer sorting solutions which include multiple capabilities to give our customers complete flexibility.

“The more refined sorting process and robust reliability delivered by Sentinel II will give our customers peace of mind that they are meeting their obligations in terms of food safety and quality. Meanwhile, the ability to process significantly higher volumes at high speed drives up productivity and efficiency on the production line.”

Visitors to CLFP Food Processing Expo 2015, which takes place at the Sacramento Convention Centre, California, February 18-19, will have the first opportunity to see the Sentinel II at TOMRA Sorting Food’s booth 624.

About TOMRA Sorting Food
TOMRA Sorting Food, formerly BEST and ODENBERG, designs and manufactures sensor-based sorting machines for the food industry. Over 7,500 systems are installed at food growers, packers and processers worldwide.

The company provides high-performance optical sorters, graders, peeling and process analytics systems for nuts and seeds, dried fruits, potato products, fruits, vegetables, meat and seafood. The systems ensure an optimal quality and yield, resulting in increased productivity, throughput and an effective use of resources.

TOMRA Sorting Food is part of TOMRA Sorting Solutions which also develops sensor-based systems for the recycling, mining and other industries.

This powerful combination of technologies makes TOMRA Sorting one of the most advanced providers of sensor-based sorting solutions in the world, with over 11,500 of its systems installed globally.

Founded in 1972, TOMRA Systems ASA has a turnover around €530M and employs over 2,500 people.

For more information, visit www.tomra.com/food.