The coffee industry is not without its challenges, such as the presence of ochratoxin, a harmful mycotoxin that can contaminate coffee beans. This underscores the need for advanced solutions like optical sorting machines, as highlighted by Johanna Majer, product manager for the coffee portfolio at
Bühler AG, a German technology company. As she explained, Bühler pays great attention to shaping its optical sorting technologies, meticulously testing local solutions before allowing their mass use for the benefit of coffee processors and consumers worldwide.

“We are offering better transparency, including accurate data sets to allow processors to monitor the performance of their process and empower their decision-making. From tracking the percentage rejected to receiving detailed defect breakdowns, processors can enjoy peace of mind and keep uptime high,” Majer said.

Using the best optical sorting machines is the way to top quality in the coffee industry, stated Michela Pelliconi, head of sales, optical sorting at Cimbria, a Denmark-based manufacturer in the processing, handling and storage of grain and seeds and other industrial products. “Cimbria’s high-end optical sorters bring unmatched quality and reliability to coffee processing operations, she commented, adding that “we have achieved this thanks to close collaboration with coffee processing companies and coffee roasters from all over the world that have reciprocated our studies and commitment to their needs with satisfaction and gratitude for over 50 years.”

Pelliconi shared that the best sorter combines the ideal inspection systems and mechanics with the best software-based processing. Cimbria’s advanced and intuitive optical sorting technology revolutionises how coffee beans are selected and classified. This allows companies to achieve higher levels of efficiency in their sorting processes, resulting in maximum quality, improved productivity, reduced waste and increased profitability.

Satake USA, the North American division of Japan-based grain processing machinery manufacturer, Satake Corporation, has also been working on streamlining its product offering in the optical sorting machinery segment. “We have different types of optical sorters for coffee beans – green and roasted –
suitable for different customer requirements,” explained Pam Enriquez, marketing services manager with Satake.

Satake offers a range that could meet the requirements of customers dealing with product flows of different sizes. “Our smallest sorter is portable and cost-effective and can be used in laboratory or medium-sized production lines. We also have sorters for higher capacities with special features to minimise losses of good coffee beans and produce clean products,” Enriquez said.

Sticks and stones

Bühler’s Majer said that the optical sorting machinery has become a must-have solution for customers striving for higher quality standards. “This includes the defect trend of quaker beans, a classification of immature coffee bean with lower sugar concentration,” she said, adding that quakers do not caramelise during the roasting process and can be unpleasant to taste.

“Our new technology, installed at a first customer site, has very promising signs of effectively reducing
quakers, and we will continue to test quakers to ensure processors receive the maximum yield from
their supply,” Majer said. “Alongside new challenges, there are also ‘fundamental’ defects, including
sticks, stones, and insect damage. These same-colour contaminants provide a challenge that we are
constantly solving at higher levels of efficiency.”

“The introduction of the MerlinAi engine, now implemented in our SORTEX J and H SpectraVision
series, is an example of innovating coffee with higher levels of defect removal, helping both producing and importing countries to ensure coffee of the highest market quality,” Majer stated.

“In a world tending to the ‘cheap’, operators in the coffee sector are among those who stand out for
excellence in processing and quality. Now, coffee is appreciated all over the world more than ever, and
the focus on high-quality coffee is increasing in many markets,” Pelliconi said, adding, “even where
the harvest has faced some challenges, the best technology is requested and used to optimise the
quality of the final output product. Customers around the world [request] our advanced optical sorting technologies.”

To allow customers to enjoy a cup of coffee of excellent quality, a series of crucial decisions have been made throughout the process “from field to cup”, Pelliconi said, adding that starting from the harvest of berries, there are many skills in play throughout this value chain.

The choice of the optical sorter is one of the most important ones because the natural product, which
in nature needs constant temperatures, influenced by natural events, transport and many other factors,
always presents itself in need of being purged from beans that would give a taste not optimal to that
great cup of coffee.

“Coffee is a natural product [that not only varies by origin] but also always evolving,” Pelliconi said. “If all the processing lines are now equipped with mechanical systems to prevent stones and foreign bodies from being found in the product ready for market, a check with high-end optical sorters is necessary to be sure to eliminating the hidden or hard to recognise unwanted foreign bodies such as coconut fragments,” she said.

Majer explained that alongside quality, this is also a sustainability topic, as it results in less waste and fewer beans progressing to the roasting stage before being identified. “With stricter regulations and supply price volatility, it is more important than ever to make every bean count!”

An Era of Artificial Intelligence

Satake introduced several innovations in the coffee field recently, particularly focused on enhancing sorting accuracy and efficiency, Enriquez said. “Our latest advancements include improvements in optical sorting technologies that utilise advanced sensors, higher-resolution cameras, and AI algorithms to more accurately detect and remove defects, foreign materials, and inconsistencies in coffee beans.”

Additionally, Satake integrated X-ray technology into its sorting systems to complement RGB and infrared capabilities, allowing the company to better identify subtle differences in bean quality that were previously challenging to detect. “The addition of X-ray helps us spot internal defects and foreign materials that may not be visible through traditional optical methods, ensuring a more thorough and precise sorting process,” said Enriquez. “This integration enhances both the safety and quality of the final product, offering greater confidence to our customers in the coffee industry,”

Looking ahead, Enriquez noted that Satake plans to further streamline its technologies by focusing on automation and remote monitoring capabilities. “This will allow customers to access real-time data and analytics, optimise machine performance, and reduce downtime through predictive maintenance. We’re also exploring the use of machine learning to continuously adapt and refine sorting parameters based on specific customer needs and regional bean characteristics, which will improve processing efficiency and overall product quality,” she explained.

However, the key trend in optical sorting in the coming years will be the use of AI and advanced automation, Enriquez said.

This opinion is shared by Cimbria, which recently introduced a highly advanced control system in its top-range optical sorters, empowered with brand-new AI software, BRAIN TM. “Cimbria combines many years of solid knowledge and expertise with high technology and artificial intelligence,” Pelliconi said. “The result is the ability to easily create the most complex recipes for the best optical sorting ever.”

The combination of human operation and machine learning makes the precision sorting of any variety of coffee beans with impressive results.

“With BRAIN, we have revolutionised the way our top-range optical sorter operates. Our many years of experience and in-depth knowledge of what makes the best possible sorting are key in creating the ideal recipes for optical sorting,” Pelliconi said, adding, “This simplifies the manual operation of the machine
because the right settings have already been adjusted for an optimised outcome through artificial intelligence.” A complex algorithm of the BRAIN software enables the SEA.IQ PLUS optical sorter to identify elements even more precisely and distinguish colour, shape, size, and defects quickly and easily, saving precious time and manual workload.

Still, optical sorting is one of the technologies where perfection is unlimited. All market players acknowledge their commitment to continuing to refine their solutions.

“How do we intend to further improve our technology? Simply as you do in anything to be able to succeed: a lot of study, a lot of commitment, perseverance, and a bit of passion,” Pelliconi said.

• Vladislav Vorotnikov is a Batumi, Georgia-based multimedia B2B freelance journalist writing about the tea and coffee industries since 2012.

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