Metal Detectable & X-Ray Visible Products
Detection of contaminants is a key part of food safety. Increasingly demanding government regulations continue to fuel the importance of using metal detectors to detect and reject harmful and intrusive objects.
If you use metal detectors or x-ray equipment at your facility, we can help enhance your HACCP and GMP programs with our wide line of metal detectable products. From safety supplies to processing tools, we can help ensure your products integrity.
• View/Download our Metal Detectable Products Catalog
• Request a Printed Metal Detectable Products Catalog
Metal Detector Calibration
WHAT IS THE SMALLEST PIECE OF A FOREIGN OBJECT
THAT CAN BE DETECTED BY A METAL DETECTOR?
This answer varies greatly. It is dependent upon the material of the contaminant itself, the speed of the line and the moisture content.
The height of the detector head from the line is the most critical variable, as sensitivity decreases as height increases.
HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN CALIBRATION?
You want to periodically check calibration by passing a known calibration test tool under the unit to check for accuracy. These can be made of ferrous, non-ferrous, or stainless steel, and come in the form of rods, cylinders, balls, whips, cards and more.
HOW DO YOU ADJUST YOUR METAL DETECTORS?
Machines must be calibrated to the food they are processing and then set to a threshold, determined by the company, in regards to the size of the contaminant they want the detector to reject. The type of product passing through the detector (wet or dry), its size, and speed affect the setting.
The metal detector manufacturer can assist with calibration setup.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T TEST YOUR CALIBRATION?
The metal detector can allow larger pieces of foreign contaminant to get through, compared to the threshold setting, threatening the finished
product's safety.
Other metal detector calibration tools are available upon request. Customized sizes available to meet your application needs.
Metal Detection Materials
WHY BLUE?
Many metal detectable products are colored blue for two reasons:
- Easy visual detection.
- It is the most common non-food color.
WHAT IS USED TO MAKE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
METAL DETECTABLE?
In plastic products such as scrapers, pens, and vinyl gloves, a unique manufacturing process involving the inclusion of a metallic pigment enables the plastic to be detected. In other products such as earplugs,
a stainless steel ball bearing is enclosed in the plug to make them detectable.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMBEDDED METAL
AND IMPREGNATED MATERIAL?
A product with embedded metal is only detectable if the product piece containing the metal goes through a detector.
With a product that is impregnated, the entire piece has fine metal particles throughout, making the entire piece,
or parts of it detectable.