AI-powered at-line vision inspection system for meat and poultry

Meat and poultry processors face ongoing challenges with quality control, consistency, and labour shortages. Those who use traditional manual inspection methods know these are time-consuming, subjective, and provide limited data.

KPM Analytics offers the TheiaVu^® WD-300, an AI-enabled at-line vision inspection system designed specifically for meat and poultry applications. The machine includes advanced features and capabilities from previous system generations to answer specific demands from users in the meat and poultry industry. It eliminates the need for calipers and colour charts to save labour and avoid subjective assessment. The at-line visual inspection reduces all these manual measurements into a single pass through a conveyor for greater precision, reliability, and speed compared to other visual inspection methods. 

The TheiaVu WD-300 is optimised for a wide range of meat and poultry products, including chicken portions, beef cuts, processed meats and other further breaded products such as chicken nuggets and sandwich patties.

Sophisticated, trainable AI analyses range of product features

In addition to traditional rule-based vision techniques, the TheiaVu WD-300 vision inspection system leverages sophisticated artificial intelligence to analyse product attributes quickly and accurately. It can assess key quality indicators such as product thickness, fat distribution, and cook colour even on breaded products, as well as measure size, shape, and detect blood spots or foreign materials.

Each TheiaVu WD-300 is equipped with measuraAI^TM, available in measura® 4 software, which provides a simple interface that allows users to take advantage of recent developments in artificial intelligence and train their own AI models based on provided templates for their unique products. The measura® 4 software is also available in all TheiaVu models, including the TV-250 product line for the baking industry.

As optional add-ons, the TheiaVu WD-300 also interfaces with an integrated weighing scale or product temperature probe to complete quality assessment needs. This comprehensive analysis provides processors greater insights into their production process, ensuring consistent quality and maximising value.

Unlike infrequent manual measurements, which are difficult to standardize, the new system offers rapid, objective analysis of multiple product attributes in a single pass. Customers participating in beta testing of the new system report significant increases in inspection speed, more consistent results, valuable data insights, and allows them to get the highest value for their products.

The TheiaVu WD-300 vision inspection system offers a rapid return on investment, says KPM. Rather than installing a vision inspection system over each processing line, a less expensive at-line system like TheiaVu WD-300 can be located on the production floor or in the quality lab and used to inspect every line. 

In this way, the TheiaVu WD-300 system provides a stepping stone for more automated in-line inspection in the future. KPM Analytics inline inspection systems, such as the KPM P-Series utilise the same software interface as the TheiaVu WD-300 for seamless measurement transfer to the production line.  

Processors can increase the amount and consistency of data collected. As labour challenges persist in the industry, company managers will appreciate the opportunity to: 

• Ensure compliance with customer specifications and reduce the risk of costly product rejections.
• Increase sampling rates with the speed and consistency of the AI-powered analysis. 
• Realise a more representative picture of overall product quality by collecting data on more samples in less time. 
• Enjoy a user-friendly setup due to the system's AI programming. This allows new product specifications to be added in minutes rather than hours for a line change or product reformulation. 
• Save time by using included AI libraries for meat and poultry products, with digitally stored data for easy retrieval.
• Designed with Meat Processors in Mind

The system is specifically designed for the harsh environments typical of meat processing plants. Its washdown-ready housing and removable, easy-to-clean conveyor belt supply the combination of durability and hygiene required in the meat industry. The system also includes an IP69-rated touchscreen operator interface with integrated PC.

Jon Gilchrist, Technical Solutions Director for Protein Vision Inspection Systems at KPM Analytics, said, "Our system can increase sampling rates by tenfold or more compared to manual methods while also expanding the range of measurements taken. This level of data collection and speed is simply not possible with manual inspection or modified, basic camera systems while adding in objectivity and reliability that reduces waste and positively impacts profitability."  

Companies can leverage these capabilities to future-proof quality control operations. As labor challenges persist, TheiaVu WD-300 allows processors to optimize labor while dramatically increasing the amount and consistency of data collected. This comprehensive data collection enables processors to identify trends, anticipate issues, and make data-driven decisions to improve their overall operations.