By Phil Brown, European Sales Director, Fortress Technology
Metal detection testing procedures must be clearly documented and communicated to all relevant staff. In accordance with the manufacturer”s recommendations, testing should take place regularly, usually hourly, and between each product changeover. Intervals between tests need to be short enough that if a fault is found, products potentially affected have not left your premises and can be identified, recalled and retested.
The costs of conducting these tests manually on such a regular basis can be high. Automatic testing tackles this drain on resources and helps to eliminate the risk of human error. For example, in one day, each metal detector system manually tested at least five times each day, may cost a manufacturer around £250 a day in machine downtime and testing time, especially in pipeline and gravity applications.
To ensure more reliable manual metal detector tests:
1. Place test samples in the CENTRE of the aperture, the least sensitive spot. This is highly unlikely to be sitting on top of your product pack, or on the top of the conveyor belt. Test samples should be inserted into your product to ensure it passes through the centreline of the aperture.
2. USE good, fresh product. Remember that product characteristics, packaging and size will likely affect the detection level, so use the actual product your metal detector is inspecting. And when making test packs, use fresh product, especially for packed vegetables, salad or meat, as degradation can affect the product’s characteristics. Before inserting the sample, pre-check the packs to ensure they are free of metal contaminants.
3. Check ALL 3 metal samples – ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel. Because they are all detected at different levels, even if one metal sample is picked up, that doesn’t necessarily mean the integrity of the detector is proven. To ensure you are detecting stainless steel contaminants that are commonplace in food production machinery, use a non-magnetic 3 series (i.e. 316) stainless steel sample.
4. Test using REALISTIC production conditions, including speed and the way products are presented.This ensures that your reject mechanism is operating correctly. Automatic reject systems must prove that it is rejecting the pack effectively, regardless of where the sample is located (e.g. front of pack or back of pack). An automatic test system must also ensure that subsequent packs are not damaged or trapped, or ignoring consecutive contaminated packs. Even belt stop systems should be checked to ensure contaminated packs are held at the point where an operative can recover them.
Sarah Ketchin, Managing Director
T +44 (0)1295 256266
E sketchin@fortresstechnology.com
W www.fortresstechnology.co.uk
Fortress Technology
- 01295 256266
- sales-UK@fortresstechnology.com
- http://www.fortresstechnology.com
- Phantom Bldg, Beaumont Road, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 1RH GB
About us
Fortress Technology began its humble beginnings in 1996 believing that through superior product design and engineering the production of higher quality equipment with better sensitivities could be achieved. The phenomenal market response to the Fortress Phantom line of metal detectors has validated that belief and the philosophy on which it is based… simple operation, outstanding reliability, and exceptional performance. Over the years, Fortress has blossomed into a global enterprise with main offices in Canada, the UK, and Brazil serving North America, Europe, and Latin America. Their valued representatives provide cost effective and customised inspection solutions to customers’ worldwide.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
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Episode 1: Food Safety Programs
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Episode 2: 'Inspecting' Metal Detector and X-Ray Technology
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Stealth Metal Detector - Acceptable Setup
