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Get the most out of your eggs with the EggQualizer
As an egg producer, you want to make the most out of your eggs while maintaining the high quality that the consumers in your target market expect. That is why, in 2006, Moba introduced the Egg inspector: An advanced vision system that detects leaking and dirty eggs on the infeed of Omnia egg graders using cameras and special lighting. However, every market has different egg quality requirements and standards of what is acceptable. For example: In some markets a small feather on the egg is acceptable — while in other markets, such as markets where eggs are washed, this is absolutely unacceptable. That is why Moba is proudly introducing its fourth generation of the Egg inspector with advanced Artificial Intelligence software and the EggQualizer tool, which tunes the systems to your own egg quality standards for any individual defect type.
Detecting leaking and dirty eggs
The Moba Egg inspector works by using image processing. Cameras mounted in an enclosed cabinet on the infeed conveyor of the egg grader scan the eggs while they rotate. The images are created by a balanced combination of cameras and flashing high-intensity LEDs that produce frequencies specially selected to generate the optimal contrast in the images taken. Due to this vision system, abnormalities can be detected on both white and brown eggs. The images are processed using an advanced Artificial Intelligence model on a high-performance computer and this outcome is transmitted to the grading system. The leaking and dirty eggs can then be sent to an outlet in the infeed or packed into second-class products. Thanks to the Egg inspector, it is possible to remove leaking and dirty eggs early in the grading process, preventing downstream contamination. This configuration contributes strongly to a high level of food safety and guarantees the high quality of the eggs that end up at the consumer's table. Removing leaking eggs early also ensures that the equipment stays clean, as a clear separation is created between "incoming eggs" and the "clean zone."
The Egg inspector was a gamechanger in the market, surpassing human candling in every aspect. However, by listening to our customers, it became clear that it was time to take the Egg inspector to the next level.
EggQualizer: set your own standards
Up to 20% of all unwashed eggs have spots that should not be there. If you ask consumers from different markets all around the world what they regard as acceptable in the end product, you will get different opinions in each market. This results in different requirements from retail, sometimes not only differentiated by market but also by egg type. That is why setting your detection system to a specific sensitivity level per defect type is of such added value. It increases efficiency and food safety as higher detection rates are achieved and false rejects are reduced. This is exactly why Moba developed the EggQualizer.
With this tool, you can adjust your Egg inspector40 to match your quality requirements. How? By allowing you to set your standard per defect. So you can "tell" your Egg inspector if, for example, a feather is acceptable or how big a black dirt spot must be for the egg to be rejected. In this way, you determine what is acceptable and ensure that every egg that ends up in consumer products meets the quality standards of the target market.
The new EggQualizer tool is just one of the major upgrades. We also have equipped the Egg inspector40 with more advanced software, based on Artificial Intelligence. Trained by hundreds of thousands of images of all possible kinds of defects, this algorithm of the Egg inspector40 will outperform all detection systems currently on the market. Combined with the EggQualizer software, this is the first system available that combines all that matters: adaptability to (changing) market requirements, a tunable separation between grade and different kinds of off grades and last but not least, maximizing your sellable product.
We also have optimized the positioning of the cameras in the Egg inspector. In this latest generation, the cabinet is widened to allow for a different camera mounting, meaning images are taken at a wider angle. This improves the view of the poles of the eggs, creating a better overview of the entire eggshell, meaning higher detection levels for dirt spots, even on the poles. And it is not just the position that has changed — the cameras have been replaced by high-quality prism color cameras. With the new cameras, even the slightest variation between defects can be detected, thus improving detection rates.
The Egg inspector40 will be first introduced during the upcoming IPPE exhibition in Atlanta (January 25 – 27), and the exhibitions that follow in early 2022. Keep a close eye on our website or visit the Moba-booth for more information.