After installing more than 800 free-fall laser sorters all over the world on more then 40 different applications, BEST introduces a whole new generation of free-fall laser sorters under the umbrella of the HELIUS platform. Besides its increased sorting performance the HELIUS sorter is designed to meet customers needs such as: small footprint, flexibility in sorting multiple products, versatile modular design, intuitive graphical user interface … in brief the HELIUS sorters are the most versatile sorters capable of meeting even future customers demands. With the launch of the HELIUS platform, BEST helps its

customers to achieve the objectives fulfilling the growing quality requirements in the field of food safety. HELIUS can sort based on color, structure, size and shape differences just like its predecessors Argus and LS9000. On top of these “traditional sorting techniques”, HELIUS is now able to sort based on biological characteristics, invisible with the human eye but sometimes dangerous for the health, such as aflatoxin in nuts and figs. Thanks to the FLUO technique, it is also possible to screen chlorophyll containing products like lettuce, spinach, peas or other green vegetables for foreign material contamination with minimal loss of good product.
With up to 12 individual laser signals and with several patented and patent pending techniques the HELIUS platform offers unlimited combinations to achieve unequalled sorting performance. The new optical platform is able to see the defects that still are invisible for traditional sorters today.

The success of the ARGUS and LS9000 free-fall sorters has proven that the patented free-fall chute from BEST is a unique and successful technique on the sorting market. Depending of the product to be sorted and its condition (frozen, dry, fresh,..) the free-fall chute is optimized with additional features. The free-fall principle permits a front & rear inspection zone versus a top and bottom approach with belt sorters. This vertical inspection system guarantees clean optical windows during production as opposed to top & bottom optics in which the bottom is very difficult to keep clean resulting in performance loss. BEST already stopped production of their belt based top & bottom laser scanners in 2003 of which the first ones were installed in 1994 because of the above mentioned reasons.

Already in 2002 BEST laid the first stone for the development of the new HELIUS electronic platform. Already since 2004, this new electronic platform is completely integrated into our GENIUS belt sorters to combine BEST’s advanced Optical laser system with camera inspection. Already more then 100 GENIUS belt sorters are installed since then. Following the great success of BEST’s Dual technology GENIUS sorters (Camera & Laser) BEST will now introduces the new HELIUS range of free-fall sorters based on the already proven electronic and optical platform.

Unlike other digital sorting solutions, HELIUS uses super over sampling techniques to ensure that no valuable signal information is lost in between two digital samples. The digital

video signals are processed by high-speed state-of-the-art hardware. This digital hardware processing system offers superior reliability over any computer or software driven system. Hardware processing has no limitations on processing power which is needed to process all objects to be inspected and is thus not limited by the throughput of the sorter. The HELIUS hardware platform is independent from the user interface and all sorter data is stored on the hardware platform. This system of centralized data management eliminates the risk for data loss caused by computer or software failures. There are two independent hardware-processing systems for the front & rear inspection system resulting into a maximum of up time.

Thanks to its symmetrical mechanical design, the HELIUS sorter is retrofit-able to match changes in production line, even after several years of installation. All operator controls are located on one side of the unit. This simplifies the layout of your production line.
The HELIUS sorter has an open mechanical design to minimize cleaning & sanitation, with easy access to optical windows. Just like the ARGUS and LS9000 free-fall sorters, HELIUS has few moving parts resulting in low maintenance requirements.
The HELIUS sorter is available like its predecessors in 640 and 1200 mm.

BEST’s ambition is always to deliver the BEST possible service to their customers. A sorter is not like a computer, and BEST is not like a computer manufacturer. If you purchase a computer today, it is already old tomorrow. That is why BEST always tries to think about upgradeability of the older systems when designing new features. BEST is proud to announce that all of the previous generation of free-fall laser sorters can be upgraded to the new HELIUS platform. This way, existing customers do not have to buy a complete new sorter to obtain the latest and greatest.

You are also welcome to witness a demonstration on your own product in our demo facilities in Heverlee, Eindhoven or Denver.
We can help you finding that needle in the haystack….