Tour Stop Nr. 28
Classification of 70,000 oysters per hour with SICK Vision Technology
Celine Maisons
Classifying 70,000 oysters per hour with 3D vision technology from SICK. Efficiency driven to the limit!
Oysters, a delicacy around the world, must still be alive when consumed.
This is why the taking utmost care in packaging and shipping goods quickly are the top priorities of Céline Maisons, an oyster producer based in Cancale, in the Brittany region of France. Before packing, weight and size of the oysters are checked. They must then be separated into six weight classes in order to conform to French law. Oysters which are too small are put back in the water in order to allow them to continue growing. Oysters which are too large are separated out. The conventional system was able toCmeasure 6,000 oysters per hour. Céline Maisons was looking for a faster solution. SICK has developed this together with its partner, BIRA.
3D Camera classifies oysters with maximum efficiency
Together with BIRA, SICK has developed a new system based on the SICK 3D Ranger technology. The camera measures 3D properties at a speed never achieved by previous systems. The Ranger uses the measurements to create a complete data record for each object. Including the third dimension in the measurements allows the system to obtain height and contour data which is vital for correct classification of real objects. The camera records up to 35,000 profiles, each with up to 1,536 highly precise 3D coordinates. This means more than 45 million 3D points per second, making the Ranger from SICK the fastest 3D system in the world.
Using a laser, a 3D image of each oyster is created at a speed of 1 m/s. This brings the classification speed to 70,000 pieces per hour. Compared to the conventional measurement of 6,000 oysters per hour, this represents an enormous leap in output and a significant increase in productivity. In order to make sure that during packing only oysters of the same weight are filled in the transport boxes, the camera prepares oysters with identical volumes for packing with an accuracy of 0.5 mm³. To do this, it creates 2,000 3D profiles. Once a transport container is full, an operator checks the weight of one oyster in order to determine the classification. This measurement is carried out manually, as the correlation between the weight and volume is not direct, but rather dependent on the time and location at which the oysters were harvested.
Your benefits:
- Classification speed: 70,000 oysters per hour
- Precision of volume measurement: 0.5 mm³
- Filtering out of oysters which are too small or too large
- Reduced maintenance costs
The oysters are classified faster and more exactly than ever before, thus greatly increasing the efficiency of Céline Maisons for classifying and packing oysters. The division into six weight classes conforms to French law, thus allowing Céline Maisons to bring fresh, delicious oysters of the same size to the lovers of this culinary pleasure.