Best Practices for Metal Detection
Best Practices For Metal Detection In The Food Industry
June 17, 2019
Metal Detector Test Pieces
Using Metal Detector Test Pieces
June 24, 2019
Best Practices for Metal Detection
Best Practices For Metal Detection In The Food Industry
June 17, 2019
Metal Detector Test Pieces
Using Metal Detector Test Pieces
June 24, 2019
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Food Grade Metal Detectors

Food Grade Metal Detectors and Quality Test Pieces

Compare Food Grade Metal Detectors

Food grade metal detectors come in many different types, from conveyors to pipelines to gravity feed.  Choosing the right detector for your business can be critical and may depend on various factors.  You will have to consider the type of product you’re manufacturing and the type of packaging you use.  Consider your options carefully before making a choice.  You need to ensure that you are best able to comply with the government’s ever-tightening food safety guidelines.

Food safety is not something to be taken lightly.  Even one contaminated product reaching store shelves can have a disastrous effect both from a financial and PR perspective.  This is why food safety guidelines are in place and why metal detection systems have become standard in the industry.

Detector Types

There are two basic types of detection systems: metal detectors and x-ray systems.  Food grade metal detectors are used to identify the presence of all types of metals within food products.  An x-ray system can be employed to detect other types of contaminants, including glass, stone and plastics.  Many manufacturers opt to employ a combination of both for maximum safety.

In terms of metal detectors, the different types are used to inspect different types of products.  For most packaged products, conveyer systems are ideal. In all instances, the detector uses a series of coils to produce magnetic fields.  Then these fields identify the presence of a contaminant within a product.  The system then automatically rejects the package once contamination is confirmed.  If the packaging is metalized, then a detector that employs magnets can be utilized instead.

For non-packaged products, a company may require the use of other types of food grade metal detectors.  Vertical detectors can scan loose (i.e. powdered) products.  Usually, this happens as product is pumped into bags.  Pipeline systems detect contaminants in liquids and soft, dense materials like sausages and cheeses.  The contaminated products are then channeled into isolation bins to remove them from the production line.

No matter which type of detector you use, it is crucial to perform regular tests to ensure that it is working properly.  Tests are performed by inserting a specially designed test piece into the production line.  This should happen either within a sample pack of the product or directly in the flow of loose, unpackaged product.  If the detector is working properly, it should identify and reject the test sample.

Safety

Ensuring the accuracy of your food grade metal detectors is necessary for adhering to food safety guidelines.  You should employ only the best quality test pieces such as those designed and created by Regal Packaging Services, Inc.  We provide each customer with test pieces to meet the individual specification of their system.  And we certify each individual piece to guarantee quality and durability.

Safety is paramount in the food industry, and that means employing the best metal detectors and testing them regularly.  With high quality test pieces from Regal Packaging Services you can be sure that your metal detectors are always functioning at their best and that your business is protected.  When it comes to food grade metal detectors, peace of mind like that is something you just can’t put a value on.

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Floatable Thermoform Test Cards

Some applications involve large tubs, vats, or some other type of product travel where it would be nice to have a test piece that floats. Once again, our thermoform cards provide the simplest solution. We simply insert some type of structure that forces the thermoform card to retain air, which, of course, is what makes it float. We have also manufactured floating rods, which are more difficult because there is less space to close in enough air to make the rod float but is doable.

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We took an ordinary plastic “chip clip” as defined by the customer and embedded the contaminant into the clip. The clip can be attached to the product on the line without damaging or opening the product for testing purposes.

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Bone is a difficult contaminant to find because it can vary widely based on the size, age, and calcium content (as well as feed used) of the animal. After working with several customers, Regal Packaging Services offers Pork, Beef and Chicken Bone Simulate. We have a small range of sizes at a variety of depths to simulate whatever you might expect to find in the product. Our recommendation (assuming your x-ray has visual display) is always to start with a multi-card. Using a multi-card gives you an easy way to test several sizes and depths to determine what matches the bone you’re using. Once you’ve made a comparison, testing the card against the bone you’re looking for, you can purchase a card with a single contaminant for regular testing.

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This small pill shaped test piece is used in a system with a vacuum tube that shoots the test piece through the aperture and returns it to the “home” base. Your system may never be like it, but the point is that we can make a customized solution no matter how unusual or impossible it might seem.

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As you may have seen in some of the other thermoform card descriptions, we can put nearly as many seeds as you can imagine on a single card. Pictured here you will find a wide variety of configurations and contaminants. Just let us know your specs: size of the card (up to 8” x 8”) along with size and type contaminant(s) and we’ll get you a quote as quickly as possible. Working with a multi-card is especially helpful when you are looking for multiple types of contaminants or when you want to determine what size of the same contaminant you are able to detect. In that event, once the size is chosen, you can order individual card(s) for regular, standard inspection and detection.

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There are a wide range of applications that require a test piece much longer than our standard 5” or 6” Testrods. We can make up to 3/8” x 34” or 1/2” x 34” rigid test pieces which can then be extended well beyond that length with a “handle” made of acetal cylinder larger than the 3/8” or 1/2” extension. In the photos, we used a 1” x 24” cylinder handle with a 3/8” x 24” inch extension.

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Test pieces can be made in a variety of sizes and given a pointed end in applications that require the contaminant (metal) to be inserted into a food package such as sugar or some other soft packaged food product. This allows the metal to reach the center of the aperture.

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Double-End Test Whips are also available, with metal in both ends. One consideration is to make certain that the whip is long enough to keep the metal on the non-testing side of the whip outside the metal free zone of your detector. If you insert, for instance one end of a whip with 2.0mm and 3.0mm Ferrous, you need to make certain that the 2.0mm metal doesn’t affect the detection of the 3.0mm metal (and vice versa). If the 3.0mm metal is inside the metal free zone, then the detector will be reacting to the 2.0 as well as the 3.0 as if they were combined.

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Multi-seed laminate test cards are designed for seeds 4.0mm or less. Multi-cards are useful in x-ray inspection to determine what sizes and types of contaminants your system can achieve. They can be especially useful in temperate environments and applications. If your application is rugged or wet, or your standards are larger, we recommend our thermoform multi-cards.

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We can simulate a variety of packaging in an application where you need the test piece to mimic what is traveling down the production line. In this case, we manufactured a clear “package” with the seed inside. With this method, the customer is able to reject the container appropriately, and, in the event the package is not rejected, it is easily seen by the line worker for manual removal.

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There are two types of “candy bars” pictured here – one similar to a flat candy bar and the other in a custom, near perfect copy of a candy bar. Since we’re now able to produce many variations using colored material, the copy was made in red (Fe), green (NFe) and blue (SS 316). We have the equipment to accomplish nearly anything you can imagine, and these kinds of designs are proof positive.

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Need a test piece that looks and handles like chicken nugget? We can do it. Interestingly enough, in this situation, our first version for the customer left too much “void” in the hole where the metal was placed. Given the sensitivity the customer system was using, the void had the effect of causing false positives. We were able to minimize that hole and supply the test piece with almost no void. It’s an example of how we can work with you before, during and after manufacturing to ensure all the specifications were met.

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Our standard acetal card is 2 1/4"x3 3/8,” but if needed, we can cut that size down to as small as 1 1/4” x 1 1/4” (with limited engraving). If a larger card or a card with multiple seeds is needed, see our Custom Shape-Size Blocks and Tablets.

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This distinctive test piece was created to mimic an actual hamburger patty. The customer supplied photos of the raw product, which we were able to reproduce and then we placed blue glove contaminant. Using this configuration, the customer was able to determine what size piece the vision scanning system could detect with the raw burger as the background. Had they simply used a blank card with the glove, the system could easily have achieved contaminant rejection, but they needed to be sure the system could “see” the blue against the product itself.

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A card with 100 seeds in a 10x10 configuration is used to place beneath whole chickens on a production line. This gives the x-ray system operator the ability not just to see IF the equipment can detect the metal in the card, but also WHERE the equipment can detect it. If there is a problem, the operator (or company) can make any changes necessary to achieve the end goal – safe chicken in this case. This card really highlights another valuable facet of our thermoform cards.

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In this scenario, a company processing sugar needed to have a “bag” simulated with the same weight in order to accurately fall through the reject mechanism. A lighter test piece had the risk of passing over the reject mechanism.

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Our standard cubes are 1” and 1.5,” but we can also manufacture other sizes if needed. The cubes shown here are 1/2" in dimensions. Cubes can be helpful in applications where a ball or cylinder may bounce or roll away during testing, making their retrieval difficult, or, in some cases, present a hazard to the product or production equipment.

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This is a test piece that is dropped into a bottle. It’s designed so that the metal appears in the center of the aperture when testing the metal detector. In addition, the round stop makes the test piece easily removable after testing.

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Hexagonal Shaped test pieces can be very useful in places where a cylinder or ball might roll or bounce around a production floor whether dropped by a line worker or ejection from a reject mechanism. Hexagons are similar in weight to the 1inch cylinders without having the smooth, rounded cylinder edge.

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Our customer in this plant needed a test piece with a thickness less than 5.0mm. Because we have the capacity to customize sizes and shapes, we were able to mill down a product that met their specifications. That’s always our goal, meeting the specs you need for your product, testing environment and contaminants.