Sensor system for food and recipe control
In the food industry, the exact composition of the ingredients is of high importance in the production of gelatine, syrup, brittle or chocolate. Whether the quantity of ingredients is right can be determined by the colour of the product. In chocolate production, the chocolate mass is conched after mixing the ingredients. This gives the cocoa mass its typical creamy consistency. During conching, cocoa butter is also added to adjust the fat content of the chocolate. To achieve the perfect mixing ratio here, the colorSENSOR CFO colour sensor from Micro-Epsilon continuously measures and checks the colour of the chocolate mass during this process.
The measuring system used consists of the colorSENSOR CFO200 controller and the CFS4-K34-BOA reflex sensor. The sensor measures at a distance of 120 mm from the top and at an angle of 20 degrees to the centre of the agitator. In this process, the correct mixing ratio between cocoa liquor and cocoa butter is checked, which is shown by a change in brown tone and gloss. The sensor is vibration and food resistant, so no cocoa mass can penetrate. The controller evaluates the sensor signal with a repeatability of ΔE 0.5 and outputs the measurement signal with a data rate of 20 Hz. The data is output via Ethernet interface directly to a PLC control system for further evaluation of the colour values. Inline monitoring of the colour shade allows the composition of the cocoa mass to be corrected directly via the additive proportions, so that food losses are reduced to a minimum.
The smart, accurate colorSENSORs from Micro-Epsilon impress with their high colour accuracy and repeatability. They are ideal for 100% inline inspection in food production, as they precisely detect even the slightest colour differences and enable immediate intervention during ongoing operation. Up to 320 colors can be taught in 254 colour groups.
Operation is intuitive via the web interface. The attractive sensor system for food and recipe control (art. no. 10235602) consists of the CFO200 controller and the CFS4-K34-BOA sensor. This combination impresses both by the high accuracy and the attractive price-performance ratio.
System design
- Controller: colorSENSOR CFO200
- Reflex sensor: CFS4-K34-BOA-2400-T250-VS
Advantages
- Inline measurement with high precision on a wide range of foods
- Multi-teach function and formation of colour groups
- Modern, user-friendly web interface
- High colour accuracy and repeatability
- Simple and fast integration of the system even in existing lines
