Metal Detector Test Standards
Metal Detector Certified Test Pieces Can Make A Real Difference
April 5, 2018
Metal Detector Test Standards
Metal Detector Certified Test Pieces Can Make A Real Difference
April 5, 2018
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Metal Detection Test Standards

Metal Detection Test Standards

Make Sure You Meet Metal Detection Test Standards

Metal detection test standards are very exacting, whether your machine is new or used, and it’s easy to understand why. The use of metal detectors is the only guaranteed way to ensure products are making it to the marketplace without metal.

While testing standards are important in any industry, nowhere are they more crucial than in the production of food products. Even the smallest slip up in this process can lead to serious injury.  So it is vital to stay on top of your equipment’s condition at all times. That also means meeting the standards of the BRC (British Resource Consortium) and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).  The company’s well-defined HAACP plan is at play as well.

Testing

For this reason, it is generally recommended for any food grade metal detector to be tested hourly. In addition testing should occur at the beginning of each shift and at any product change. The more careful you are about testing, the less the likelihood of a problem.  This can make a huge difference for your business. A great deal of product can pass down a production line in an hour. No company wants to lose product or place product on hold because a metal detector wasn’t checked. To adhere to these inline metal detection test standards, it is important that you use only top quality test pieces.  You need test pieces designed to fit the exact specifications of your equipment.

The testing process itself is really quite simple. Test pieces are manufactured in a variety of shapes.  There are rods, spheres, cylinders and cards for a specific use, depending on the particular type of detector and product. Each test piece contains a small “seed” of metal varying in size from 0.5mm to as much as 12.0mm.  Metals used are: ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel 316. The test piece is positioned either in or on top of a production style pack identical to the product being manufactured. The test pieces are then passed through the detector, ideally, 3x, with the test piece at the front, middle and trailing edge.

If the detector is working correctly, it should pick up the presence of the metal in the test piece and reject the pack. These metal detection test standards are the same for both new and used detectors and should work effectively every time.

Regal

Because Regal Packaging Services understands the need for top quality metal detector test pieces for every food grade metal detector, we offer three types: ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel 316. We also have aluminum, soda lime glass and ceramic for x-ray inspection. Our test pieces are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be custom built to fit your exact specifications. Simply let us know the kind of metal detection system you are using, and we’ll work with you to provide exactly what you need to meet your testing standards.

Those standards are important to us. That’s why we offer our customers a free Certificate of Conformity for each test piece you purchase. This way, you can be sure that your test pieces are up to food industry standards and will stay that way for the life of the piece. This way, whether you’re testing new or used metal detectors, you’ll have results you can count on.

Certifications

If you have purchased online from us, you can get a proper certificate depending on the type of metal or contaminant used. Just visit the “Certificates” section of our website.  Once you’re confirmed as an authorized customer, you can get the certificate you need for your test pieces.  You can also email us at testrods@testrods.com or call 866-691-8560.  It’s that simple, and it can give you tremendous peace of mind. And more importantly, each certificate is good for a lifetime with no worries about expiration. As long as you’re using the test pieces, they’ll be certified. You can also call or email us for certificates.

Having a food grade metal detector that meets test standards for the industry is incredibly important, and that’s why you can’t afford to settle for less than the best. You want to be sure that your customers are getting the best quality product, and so do we. That’s why we’ve been putting such care and craftsmanship into our products since 1998.

We use materials that are virtually indestructible so that they’ll stand up to rigorous use, enabling you to keep your metal detection equipment working properly with regular testing. It’s that kind of attention to detail that sets us apart, and it’s why we’ve never had a dissatisfied customer in over two decades of doing business. That’s a standard that’s hard to duplicate and one that makes us very proud.

If you’re concerned about your system keeping your product and consumers safe, then don’t settle for second best. Come to Regal for your test pieces and rest easy knowing that your metal detector will be working at its best for years to come. That’s the gold standard in metal detector test pieces, and that’s what Regal Packaging is all about.

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4 Comments

  1. Ross says:
    October 5, 2022 at 9:50 am

    I’m trying to find out the required minimum for metal detecting test cards. We are a wholesale facility in California that packages an assortment of vegetables. We are currently using three sizes: 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm and 3.0 mm, however want to go a little higher : 3.0 mm, 3.5 mm, 4.0 mm. Could you help me find out how high I can go? Thank you

    Reply
    • brian says:
      October 5, 2022 at 10:05 am

      Ross,
      That’s a great question.
      I have sent you a direct email with a somewhat lengthy answer.
      Feel free to email or post other questions.

      Reply
  2. Eli Richardson says:
    December 7, 2023 at 1:17 pm

    It’s interesting to know about the importance of metal detection in the food processing industry. One of my cousins started working in canned food production two months ago. He said that their customers have complained about finding small pieces of metal in their products, so I think my cousin needs to read your information now.

    Reply
    • brian says:
      December 7, 2023 at 1:32 pm

      Eli,
      I get a “deer in the headlights” look when I explain what I do for a living and how it involves metal detection on food processing lines. I think we take food safety for granted until something goes wrong. I saw your comment as well on x-ray inspection systems. That kind of inspection can capture many different kinds of contaminants, including some plastics. Feel free to pass on our information. You may want to have them visit regalpack.com. Testrods.com is a division of Regal Packaging. We sell and service Fortress metal detectors (a worldwide brand) in Illinoi, Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin. We also audit all brands of metal detectors and checkweighers. IF your relatives are outside our region, we can connect them to a local rep.

      Reply

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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.