Key Technology and Exeter Engineering announce the formation of a sales and service partnership in North America. Under the terms of the agreement, Exeter is appointed the exclusive agent to sell and service Key’s OCULUS digital sorters for fresh market potatoes in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Key’s OCULUS sorter inspects tubers using a unique 360° roller system to present each potato to the vision system. Compared to traditional cascade bulk sorters, OCULUS achieves up to 20 percent more surface inspection and offers gentler handling of the potatoes. Reaching capacities of up to 40 metric tons of product per hour (88,000 lbs / hr), OCULUS detects a wide range of color defects, diseases and surface abnormalities including skin discoloration, green and dark colors, bruising, mechanical damage, blackleg and silver scurf.

OCULUS is ideal for sorting fresh market potatoes, prior to or immediately following storage, to eliminate defects and identify the dimensional profile of every tuber. Its compact footprint allows easy integration into an existing packhouse layout.

About Exeter Engineering

Exeter Engineering is a leading manufacturer of electronic sorting, washing, receiving and related machinery for the fresh produce industry. Family owned and operated since 1978, Exeter Engineering is recognized throughout the industry for its cutting-edge technology and common-sense reliability. From potatoes to peppers, citrus to cucumbers, our quality engineering and customer-driven solutions have been making customers happy for over 40 years.

About Key Technology

Key Technology is a global leader in the design and manufacture of automation systems including digital sorters, conveyors and other processing equipment. Applying processing knowledge and application expertise, Key helps customers in the food processing and other industries improve quality, increase yield, and reduce cost.  Key manufactures its products at its headquarters in Walla Walla, Washington, USA; Beusichem, the Netherlands; Hasselt, Belgium; and Redmond, Oregon, USA. Key’s domestic facilities are certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Key offers customer demonstration and testing services at five locations including Walla Walla, Beusichem, and Hasselt as well as Sacramento, California, USA and Melbourne, Australia; and maintains a sales and service office in Santiago de Queretaro, Mexico. Key is a Duravant Company.