Food Grade Metal Detector
Every Food Grade Metal Detector Requires Regular Testing
July 27, 2018
Why Do I Need Certificates of Conformity
January 9, 2019
Food Grade Metal Detector
Every Food Grade Metal Detector Requires Regular Testing
July 27, 2018
Why Do I Need Certificates of Conformity
January 9, 2019
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Detecting Glass

Use Testrods Test Cards for Detecting Soda-Lime Glass

Detecting Glass in X-Ray Systems

Detecting glass in x-ray systems may seem like a complex idea, but it really is quite a good practice. It can save a great deal of time and money as well as protect customer.  And there really is no reason not to employ this tactic in the food packaging industry.

Maintaining high-quality standards is vital for any business, and especially so in the food industry. Using a proper inspection process to detect possible contaminants is the best way to protect the quality of your products.  And the safety and satisfaction of your customers is paramount.

Is it Common?

Glass is used quite commonly in many industries, including food packaging, and for good reason. Since it is non-porous, it won’t affect the flavor of the food inside, and it has a near zero rate of chemical interaction.  So there are no worries that it will react negatively with the contents. Glass is also the only type of packaging that rates the FDA’s highest safety ranking – generally recognized as safe (GRAS).  When you compare this to the potential for chemical contamination in other packaging materials it’s easy to see the difference.

That doesn’t mean that glass is entirely free of risks. While plastic has some flexibility and will re-form under pressure, glass is much stiffer and is prone to shatter. In the manufacturing and packaging process, there can be quite a bit of stress on individual items.  Subsequently, there is a relatively high risk of breakage, which can result in glass shards contaminating food products. For this reason, there is an urgent need for detecting glass contaminants before shipping. Detecting glass in x-ray systems is the best way to ensure the safety of your products before they reach consumers.

So how exactly is glass detected?

The x-ray process used to detect glass particles in packaging is very similar to x-rays used for medical purposes.  It is not like airport security, where the process is designed to find much larger objects. Simply put, the x-ray beam is projected toward the object examined, and the object will cast varying shadows depending on the density of the material. Water and other products have a different density than glass, so the shadows cast by glass particles would be revealed.

Density will also vary depending on the type of glass. In general, the glass produced today comes in five basic types. These include soda-lime, borosilicate, lead, aluminosilicate and fused silica. The glass most commonly used is soda-lime, making up 90% of all glass in regular use. Most food products have a density closer to that of water, which is much lighter than the density of glass. Thus the process of detecting glass in x-ray systems is usually quite effective.  And Soda-Lime Glass it the only type offered on Testrods.com.

Foolproof?

As with any process, x-ray detection is not foolproof. In addition to different types of glass varying in density, the orientation of a glass particle within a product package can also affect detection. If, for instance, a glass shard is positioned perpendicular to the container, it may be difficult to detect as the density of the shard would be similar to that of the package itself. If that same shard were positioned parallel to the container, however, the thickness of the shard would be likely to stand out more, making it easier to detect, particularly when a multi-beam x-ray system is used.

Whether you are detecting glass in x-rays systems with a single beam or multiple beams, it is crucial that you ensure the accuracy of your detection equipment and the best way to do that is by using custom-made test pieces designed specifically to allow for regular maintenance checks. These specially designed pieces, which range in shape and size, are included in sample product packages that are then passed through your detection system. If everything is functioning as it should, the test piece should be detected, and the pack automatically rejected.

For this process to work correctly, you need to use the best quality test pieces certified to meet industry standards. That’s where Regal Packaging Services comes in. They have been at the forefront of the industry since 1998, providing top of the line test pieces made of aluminum, soda-lime glass, and ceramic, specifically for use in x-ray systems. All of their test pieces, found at testrods.com, are custom designed to fit your needs, and each piece comes with certification to give you the added security you want for your business.

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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.