Metal Detector Guide Notes
Metal Detector Guide Notes
June 1, 2022
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July 27, 2022
Metal Detector Guide Notes
Metal Detector Guide Notes
June 1, 2022
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Bone Simulate

THE PROBLEM WITH BONE DETECTION

Bone detection in the food industry has always been the proverbial “hard nut to crack.”  Companies needing to detect bone contaminant using x-ray inspection will find it difficult to achieve a standard set of results. In fact, those who have been working at it may feel it’s more like an art than a true science. The trouble is that bone density can vary widely between animals and is affected by genetics, the age of the animal, the feed, exercise, how long the bone has been exposed to air, and even potential osteoporosis. This may require changing testing standards from lot to lot of animal, or between suppliers, or even between animals that have been raised in the same environment at the same time. If a database can be developed showing the variety of factors affecting bone density and the standards used to match those factors, this might help mitigate that kind of concern. A company will need to work with its suppliers to acquire that information and create such a catalogue.

SOLVING BONE DETECTION

Whereas a photo image gives information about an object’s exterior, X-ray supplies information about the composition, density and thickness of an object’s internal structure. So even more difficult is finding a supplier of test pieces specifically designed for bone detection. At Regal Packaging Services (here at Testrods.com) we’ve done just that! Working in tandem with several customers, we have designed a variety of test pieces that serve as bone simulate. The metal we’re using is precision cut at 6 different sizes (below) and a variety of depths to simulate both the size and the density (affected by the thickness) of animal bone:

1) 6.5mm x 3.1mm
Thickness: of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0mm
2) 5.0 x 3.0mm – same thicknesses
3) 5mm Cubes
4) 7mm Cubes
5) “Pucks” in diameters of at 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 8.0mm – all at 1.5mm depth
6) Hollow metal (representing chicken bone) 3.2mm in diameter
Lengths of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5 and 7.0mm
This is filled with a substance giving it the approximate density required.

Bone SimulateOur customers are using our product (primarily in thermoform card version) successfully in a variety of applications. In general, because the densities can vary, we recommend employing a “multi-card” like the one shown here. In an ideal scenario, the card can be placed under x-ray along with one or several of the expected bone contaminants. By utilizing this strategy, the size and thickness closest to the bone sample can be determined. Of course, this approach is best suited for applications that include an x-ray viewing screen, but it may prove possible in other situations as well. Once the standard is determined, a card with a single contaminant at that size can be used for regular testing.

This may need to be done for each arriving “lot” of animals, which means the standards may change. While one lot may require a 3.0mm thickness, the next one may necessitate a change to 2.0mm. Both vigilance and diligence will be key in maintaining the removal of bone contaminant.

At Testrods.com, we strive to be at the cutting edge of development for test pieces used in metal detection and x-ray inspection systems, and that includes bone detection. We spend time talking to our customers, then researching and determining the best way to meet the safety demands of the industry. We’ve developed hundreds of customized solutions for the industry. We provide eleven different contaminant types: Acetal (Delrin), Buna Rubber, Viton Rubber, PTFE, Soda-Lime Glass, Aluminum, Ceramic (AL203), Ceramic (ZRO2), Stainless Steel 316, Ferrous, Non-Ferrous. And we can package those contaminants in nearly any kind and shape of test piece you may need.

Email or call us 866-977-8663 for more information about bone detection.

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2 Comments

  1. Fred Putt says:
    February 8, 2024 at 10:48 am

    HI,
    Was wondering if anyone from our company has looked into what you offer for bone detection.
    What we are looking at is turkey and or chicken bone being found by out x-ray 3″ and 4″ pipeline systems. Our current stainless steel seed for reject timing is a 1″ plastic ball, that looks to be from your company.
    Just wondering some more details, pros and cons, Thanks

    Reply
    • brian says:
      February 8, 2024 at 11:31 am

      Fred, thanks for the question. Glad you were able to contact us on the phone to get the details about how we’re working with our customers to provide bone simulate test pieces. For the sake of other who may be interested, let me just give that quick overview you probably received from Ben.
      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.
      We’ve been using aluminum as a bone simulate and our customers are finding it successful in their plants.
      For chicken bone (fowl), we use aluminum in a slightly different fashion.
      Our recommendation (assuming your x-ray has visual display) is always to start with a multi-card.
      That way you can test several sizes and depths to determine what matches the bone you’re using.
      Once you’ve had a comparison test using the card against the bone you’re looking for, you can purchase a card or ball with a single contaminant for regular testing.

      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.