The New GEM Vision Speaks Volumes
October 6, 2026
Production sites that move materials at scale have multiple incentives to be accurate about what they produce: operational efficiency, quality control, customer confidence and profitability. A new standalone system from Colorbiotics delivers the data with a new level of precision — no matter the type of material or the speed it moves across a conveyor.
The GEM Vision is a volumetric measuring system that utilizes laser technology to accurately capture materials coming off a grinder, screener or coloring system. Importantly, it is designed to handle any belt speed and shape.
“The GEM Vision offers an additional accuracy level because of the use of a dynamic belt scan,” said Jerry Everett, the process technology manager at Colorbiotics. “It can also handle variations for vibration, reflection and other contamination that can happen on a conveyor belt system. Ultimately, it’s capable of measuring any aggregate going across the conveyor belt.”
The system is designed to scan belts as narrow as seven inches to wider than 72 inches. It includes a mountable bracket that sits above the conveyor, where the laser technology sensor scans the material. A control panel tracks and stores production data and can be viewed remotely. Batch settings and recipes can be entered without leaving the loader seat.
INSPIRED BY EXPERIENCE
Colorbiotics has manufactured volumetric measuring systems since 2003, with about 250 systems currently in the field. The GEM Vision is a step forward in accuracy and utilization. The system provides real-time data and daily reports. Users can consolidate information by material type and operator.
“What we’re excited about is the versatility of products that it can handle,” said Kent Rotert, vice president of Colorbiotics. “It has been performing extremely well.”
ON THE JOB
Smith Creek, a supplier in southern Indiana and Kentucky, has utilized the GEM Vision on a stacking conveyor and a screener to measure both mulch and fines.
“The biggest advantage is the accuracy,” said Nathan Smith.
“Both as an owner and an operations guy, I like the idea of being able to accurately count what we’re producing in an hour, a shift or a day. And I like going to a customer and saying, ‘We don’t just bucket count.’” - NATHAN SMITH, SMITH CREEK
Smith sees a lot of potential to incorporate the system with grinders, screeners, coloring machines and feed flows for animal bedding.
NUMBERS ADD UP
The desire for precision speaks to a reality across the industry: overfill results in giving product away. Yet, it has long been the cost of doing business to avoid shorting customers on an order.
At Colorbiotics’ annual Demo Day in August, producers from across the country gathered to watch the GEM Vision scan mulch running off a conveyor onto a truck below. The set point was 8.1 yards. The actual came out to 8.11 yards — the kind of accuracy that provides real value to an operation.
“It doesn’t matter on this system what the belt shape or speed is, which is very important, because in a lot of systems speed in an issue,” Everett said. “We designed this technology to provide substantial long-term benefits for customers. They’ll know what’s coming off the belt into the pile.”