Buhler Sortex Limited

Buhler UK Limited

Benedict Deefholts

Timothy Kelf

David Gherardi

Howard Myer

Bill Saunders

David McCambridge

Robert James Neil McLean

Ben Ward

Saliya Gunaratne

Robert James Neil Mclean

A sorting or classifying apparatus comprising an illumination device for providing illumination or foreground illumination, the illumination device comprising a reflector () which has a reflecting surface () providing a reflection envelope, a first light source () which is disposed in spaced relation in front of the reflecting surface () and provides light of a first spectral output to the reflecting surface () for reflection thereby and which first light source () comprises a plurality of light elements or incandescent lamps (), wherein the light elements or lamps () are disposed on or near a focal axis (X) of the reflector (), and a second light source () which is disposed in spaced relation in front of the reflecting surface () and provides light of a second spectral output, different to the first spectral output to the reflecting surface () for reflection thereby and which second light source () comprises a plurality of light elements or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) () arranged along at least one row () which extends along the length of the reflecting surface () and is arranged in a direction substantially parallel to the focal axis (X) of the reflector (), optionally the first light source () is a source of near infra-red (NIR) light and the second light source () is a source of visible-spectrum light.

Sorting or classifying apparatus

An inspection apparatus for inspecting a flow of particulate material, comprising: a background reflector () adjacent which in use falls a flow of particulate material (F); and a lighting unit () for illuminating an elongate viewing field (VF) across the background reflector (), the viewing field (VF) having a first width (w); wherein the lighting unit () comprises a fixed, non-scanning light source (), and the light source () is formed of one or more light elements () which define a second width (w) which is shorter than the first width (w) of the viewing field (VF).

Inspection apparatus

A method of and apparatus for sorting foreign matter from a flow, the method comprising the steps of: identifying objects within a flow; for each identified object, determining reflectance intensities at at least two different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths; and for each identified object, comparing the reflectance intensities at the at least two different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths to a reference intensity profile, wherein the identified object is characterized as foreign matter when the reflectance intensities at the at least two different wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths fall within a predetermined region of the reference intensity profile.

Sorting method and apparatus

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London, United Kingdom

Benedict Deefholts