"These pests are more than just a nuisance," explains Dries Hendrikx, Director of Applications at Qcify. "The Carpophilus beetle, for example, can hollow out the entire kernel, leaving only the skin and frass. If those nuts make it to the final product, you’re risking both quality grading and customer trust."
Why detecting pinhole damage is so challenging
These defects are often challenging to detect with either conventional electronic sorters or manual inspection, and even when they are detected, the resulting collateral loss can be substantial resulting in lower yields.“This is where advanced optical sorting and AI-powered detection come into play. The strength of Qcify lies in the high resolution of our cameras combined with globally trained AI models that have been refined over multiple seasons,” says Simon Kerkhofs, Qcify’s Director of Sales and Marketing.
Qcify’s mission: Food safety and quality at the core
Since 2015, Qcify has been revolutionizing automated quality control in the food industry with AI-driven inspection systems that allow producers to ensure consistent product quality with greater efficiency."Our mission has always been about guaranteeing food safety and quality through innovation," notes Qcify’s CEO, Pieter Ieven. "We’ve built a connected ecosystem where each machine can get smarter in real time, helping customers detect issues early and avoid costly quality downgrades."
At Qcify, our commitment to food safety and quality is built on a foundation of innovation and integration. Our sorting and grading AI evolves continuously, improving at a pace far beyond traditional methods. From the ground up, our systems are fully AI-integrated so deep learning is at the core of everything we design. This is reinforced by machine interconnectivity, enabling real-time upgrades and optimizations without the need for costly site visits. Advanced data analytics give processors the power to detect quality issues early, make smarter decisions, and ensure regulatory compliance. We maintain strict alignment with industry regulations and global governmental guidelines, giving our customers confidence that their operations meet the highest standards.
As part of the larger eivis brand, Qcify and Insort combine expertise to provide a wide range of food safety and quality control solutions such as hyperspectral imaging, chemical imaging, and AI automation to set new industry benchmarks for food safety, waste reduction, and operational efficiency.
Precision removal at high speed
The Qcify AIR is Qcify’s newest ultra-compact optical sorter, designed to deliver high-performance automated quality control for tree nuts and peanuts. Built for speed and accuracy, it uses a 6 mm nozzle pitch, the smallest in Qcify’s history, to target defective kernels such as those with pinhole damage while avoiding unnecessary rejection of good product. Dual-sided industrial cameras capture ultra-clear images of each kernel, feeding them into an advanced AI-powered grading and classification system that delivers consistent results across a wide range of product types.Its compact design allows for seamless integration into existing lines, and flexible 2, 4, or 6-channel configurations fit a variety of processing capacities. Through closed-loop feedback with other Qcify sorters and sensors via the Qcify HUB, the AIR can adapt in real time, improving efficiency and making every connected unit smarter over time.
“The precision of the AIR is what makes the difference for yield,” says Antoon De Cleen, R&D Director at Qcify. “When removing pinhole defects, you do not want to lose good kernels. The AIR ensures only the bad ones are removed, keeping your product flow clean and profitable.”
Tested in facilities around the world, the Qcify AIR has proven itself as a smart and reliable step forward in optical sorting, helping processors safeguard quality, reduce waste, and protect their bottom line.
Qcify AIR key contributions to food safety and quality:
- AI-powered grading and classification for consistent results across product types
- Self-correcting automation through closed-loop feedback with other Qcify machines
- Dual-sided high-end industrial cameras for ultra-clear defect detection
- Flexible configurations in 2-, 4-, or 6-channel widths to fit any processing line
- Minimal footprint for easy integration
Smarter end-of-line optical sorting
The Qcify EYE is a prime example of an in-line AI monitoring system that can be installed over existing processing lines. Using high-resolution imaging and deep learning, it detects impurities and defects, including the subtle visual cues that reveal pinhole damage.“The EYE works like an always-on quality inspector that never gets tired,” says Customer Service Engineer, Bachir Gezaoui Azrak. “It processes up to 700,000 almonds an hour, picking up patterns in texture, density, and color that would be impossible for a human to see consistently at such speed.”
The EYE doesn’t just detect defects, it can also remove them in real time. It performs best at the end of a processing line, replacing handpickers who traditionally handle final quality control, while delivering unmatched consistency and efficiency. By automating the most repetitive and labor-intensive part of the inspection process, the EYE frees up quality assurance personnel to focus on higher-value tasks. They can spend more time analyzing quality trends, fine-tuning processing parameters, and addressing the root causes of defects. Instead of spending hours manually scanning products, they can dedicate their expertise to process optimization, reporting, and ensuring compliance with customer and regulatory standards.
Qcify EYE key contributions to food safety and quality:
- Fully automated monitoring for quality and impurity detection
- Optional sorter module for instant removal of defects
- AI and deep learning that eliminate the need for final human inspection
- 24/7 operation with consistent, objective results
- Continuous learning through networked data sharing across machines
- Effective removal of challenging defects such as peewee inshell, pinholes, and embedded shell
- Enables processors to move from subjective grading to data-driven decision-making
Why this matters for almond processors
Pinhole defects are not just an appearance issue. They can lead to shipment rejections, product downgrades, and regulatory compliance failures in key markets.By integrating equipment like the EYE or AIR into processing lines, almond processors can:
- Improve food safety by removing insect-damaged kernels
- Maintain grading consistency for premium markets
- Increase yield by minimizing false rejects
- Reduce labor dependency in inspection and sorting
- Protect their brand through consistent product quality
In conclusion
Pinhole damage may be small, but its effect on almonds and the almond industry can be massive. With pests spreading and quality standards tightening, processors need tools that can see the unseen and act instantly.Ready to see the difference for yourself?
Book a demo with Qcify today and trial our solutions in real life.
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