GTE Technology recently completed the installation and commissioning of the PETKUS Optical Sorter OS f3.0 in Tasmania, Australia. This project marks a milestone. Botanical Resources Australia is the first customer in the Southern Hemisphere to process their fine seeds with this advanced technology.
Botanical Resources Australia is a global leader in supplying the natural insecticide active ingredient Pyrethrins, which are extracted from pyrethrum daisies grown in Tasmania. Since its inception in 1996, they have led the world in the cultivation of the pyrethrum daisy.
Botanical Resources Australia connected with GTE to improve their efficiency, productivity, and sustainability when sorting pyrethrin seeds. Pyrethrin seeds presented a unique sorting challenge, with a thousand-kernel weight of 1.2 grams and small dimensions ranging from 4 to 4.5 millimetres. Precision sorting is vital to ensure product quality and efficacy.
The PETKUS optical sorter proved to be the perfect solution. The OS f3.0 optical sorter is designed to address these challenges, effectively removing unwanted seeds, such as ryegrass, burr chervil, and knotted hedge parsley. Its advanced technology identifies low-quality and empty seeds and detects double or multiple pyrethrum seeds and plant material to ensure the purity of the seed lot.
Tim Chaffey from Botanical Resources Australia expressed his satisfaction, saying, “This equipment has surpassed all of our expectations! The professionalism and support from GTE Technology and PETKUS are second to none. This technology is game-changing for our industry.”
The OS f offers unmatched capabilities for effectively cleaning small seeds at the highest quality level, surpassing standard colour sorters. Its innovative material transport system, synchronised with a high-precision ejection system, guarantees precise sorting.
Equipped with a high-resolution colour camera system, the OS f detects even the slightest differences to ensure the purest seed lots. Its versatility extends to sorting seeds smaller than one millimetre and accommodating various shapes, from round to arbitrarily shaped, making it adaptable to diverse processing lines.
This project celebrates another successful partnership between GTE Technology and PETKUS. GTE Technology is the exclusive PETKUS partner for Australia and New Zealand. Together, we are advancing the seed, feed, and food industries through innovative technologies. Shared journey, shared success.