21 replies to this topic

[Simon]

I know all of the standard places by a simple google search but I'm looking for other sources where you can get similar pens at a realistic price.

Thanks,
Simon

[Simon]

BUMP for me.

[cazyncymru]

BUMP for me.

http://www.teknomek....ns/default.aspx

try these.....very nice pens and cheaper than the plastic variety!

the plastic pens nibs break if you press hard on them too, so not very good from a food safety contamination perspective.

happy to help

caz xxxx

[GMO]

Whatever you get, remember that in every factory I've worked in, for some reason detectable pens are like gold-dust. You can easily get through far more than you have people in a week!

I've used these guys before but do remember with detectable plastics to check them through your detector because sometimes the sensitivity is not sufficient to detect them (especially with x-rays). Also try detecting the smaller parts which could come off, e.g. the clip rather than the whole pen.

http://www.detectame...-stationery.htm

If you give them a call and ask nicely, they will probably send you some samples to test in your machines before you order.

[Simon]

Thanks Caz and GMO, I am aware of both those companies / products; what I'm after is something really cheap (10P) each like a one piece stick pen. The type that operators won't want to steal and even if they do you won't care.

[Bob Bottel]

Try: http://www.detectabl...productid=16133

for many metal-detectable items.

Bob

[Simon]

Try: http://www.detectabl...productid=16133

for many metal-detectable items.

Bob

Thanks Bob, that’s the same company that gets mentioned over and over and was mentioned earlier in the thread. The problem is their pens are expensive; what I’m looking for is a disposable pen (ten a penny). If you have a lot of shop floor employees e.g. 100 then it’s unavoidable that dozens of pens expire, are lost, broken or stolen every week and that can add up over a year.

I’m looking for this specification:

A one piece, stick pen, made of non shatterproof material that writes OK, lasts OK and is perhaps £0.20 each maximum.

Maybe they don't exist.

[Caddyshack]

[quote name='Simon' timestamp='1284724034' post='38100']
I know all of the standard places by a simple google search but I'm looking for other sources where you can get similar pens at a realistic price.

Thanks,
Simon

Hi Simon,

I use Detectamet in York, 01759 304200 www.ecc-ltd.co.uk Reasonable prices
and seems like a nice small company. Ask for Erdie

Good luck

Mike

[Charles.C]

Dear caddyshack,

My ffox browser with "no script" activated refused to open yr link.

Maybe detected something metallic??

Rgds / Charles.C

PS First time ever happened at approach to a site.

[Simon]

A one piece, stick pen, made of non shatterproof material that writes OK, lasts OK and is perhaps £0.20 each maximum.

Maybe they don't exist.

I really, really think they don't.

[GMO]

Maybe fix the stealing issue rather than the pens? Chain them to the machines (with food safe chains!!!!)

[Simon]

Chain them to the machines (with food safe chains!!!!)

No you can't do that, chaining operators to machines, even with food safe chains, would be seen as unethical. Probably get kicked out of sedex.

[GMO]

No you can't do that, chaining operators to machines, even with food safe chains, would be seen as unethical. Probably get kicked out of sedex.

Might get more work done though

[sskubisnac]

Ahhh, the perennial safety pen issue and the huge cost implication which it brings.

I have come up with a particular fiendish solution to this. Obviously the cost of issuing (almost on a daily basis!) pens to a workforce of 160+ is restrictive. I therefore sourced some 'Eco Pens'. These are identical in shape and design to the common Bic biro type pen, but the main barrel is made from tightly wound recycled paper with the refil inserted up the centre as in a normal pen. I get these from a company which sells promotional items (mugs, placemats, pens etc printed ith the logo / slogan of your choicem etc.) but buy them unprinted as they would source them themselves.

The pen cannt break or splinter so no foreign body / hard plastic issue. The refil is the normal metal tipped type, so metal detectable, and I have them supplied in blue colour (the pen barrel, not the ink!) so they are visually detectable.

I pay about 11-13p each on an order of 1000. The price will drop if you buy more obvoiusly but this is still a fairly low cost solution.

These have been sufficient to gain two Tesco TFMS Blue status audits and several BRC audits with no issue from any auditor or Customer representative.

I believe with a bit of Googling you should be able to source them freely in your location.

Hope this helps.

Ss

[Rosemary4]

We use Papermate click 2020 retractable ballpoint pens £3.89 for 20 from Irongate Group. Had no issues with these from our BRC auditor. They are a blue one piece plastic pen so highly visible. Very good and long lasting. Would highly recommend.

[GMO]

Ahhh, the perennial safety pen issue and the huge cost implication which it brings.

I have come up with a particular fiendish solution to this. Obviously the cost of issuing (almost on a daily basis!) pens to a workforce of 160+ is restrictive. I therefore sourced some 'Eco Pens'. These are identical in shape and design to the common Bic biro type pen, but the main barrel is made from tightly wound recycled paper with the refil inserted up the centre as in a normal pen. I get these from a company which sells promotional items (mugs, placemats, pens etc printed ith the logo / slogan of your choicem etc.) but buy them unprinted as they would source them themselves.

The pen cannt break or splinter so no foreign body / hard plastic issue. The refil is the normal metal tipped type, so metal detectable, and I have them supplied in blue colour (the pen barrel, not the ink!) so they are visually detectable.

I pay about 11-13p each on an order of 1000. The price will drop if you buy more obvoiusly but this is still a fairly low cost solution.

These have been sufficient to gain two Tesco TFMS Blue status audits and several BRC audits with no issue from any auditor or Customer representative.

I believe with a bit of Googling you should be able to source them freely in your location.

Hope this helps.

Ss

I would be wary of these though if your production environment was at all wet? Good thinking though for dry areas.

[Charles.C]

Dear All,

Yes, I wondered about the wet aspect also, sounds a bit Monty Pythonish

I also didn't quite get the "cannot break" bit, I do believe that the various Production / Engineering groups I have worked with can break anything. QA excluded of course.

I'm also curious as to whether the Tesco invigilators asked to see a declaration that the ink was "food-safe", particularly if it came into contact with the paper (perhaps not possible ?)

Nonetheless, extremely imaginative product

Rgds / Charles.C

[GMO]

Dear All,

Yes, I wondered about the wet aspect also, sounds a bit Monty Pythonish

I also didn't quite get the "cannot break" bit, I do believe that the various Production / Engineering groups I have worked with can break anything. QA excluded of course.

I'm also curious as to whether the Tesco invigilators asked to see a declaration that the ink was "food-safe", particularly if it came into contact with the paper (perhaps not possible ?)

Nonetheless, extremely imaginative product

Rgds / Charles.C

Yep good point - also there's a difference between "we had a PIU audit and they didn't really look at the pens" and "we showed our Tesco technologist the design specification of the pen and showed the PIU auditor and both were happy".

Also with any kind of food safe pen; if it's detectable it goes without saying you should test it through your detection machines and not just whole, test pieces of the pen; I agree with Charles, I've known people to break pretty much anything. Give our engineers a few atoms and I swear they'd break them apart till they found the Higgs Boson!

[Simon]

Yep good point - also there's a difference between "we had a PIU audit and they didn't really look at the pens" and "we showed our Tesco technologist the design specification of the pen and showed the PIU auditor and both were happy".

Also with any kind of food safe pen; if it's detectable it goes without saying you should test it through your detection machines and not just whole, test pieces of the pen; I agree with Charles, I've known people to break pretty much anything. Give our engineers a few atoms and I swear they'd break them apart till they found the Higgs Boson!

What's a Higgs Boson?

I don't like the paper based eco pens because of wetness and dirt ingress. Papermate click sounds alright though.

Regards,
Simon

[sskubisnac]

Yep good point - also there's a difference between "we had a PIU audit and they didn't really look at the pens" and "we showed our Tesco technologist the design specification of the pen and showed the PIU auditor and both were happy".

Also with any kind of food safe pen; if it's detectable it goes without saying you should test it through your detection machines and not just whole, test pieces of the pen; I agree with Charles, I've known people to break pretty much anything. Give our engineers a few atoms and I swear they'd break them apart till they found the Higgs Boson!

The pens were signed off (no pun intended) by the Customer Technologists responsible for our facility. Fair point, they are only suitable for dry sites but hey, it was only a suggestion.

[Simon]

The pens were signed off (no pun intended) by the Customer Technologists responsible for our facility. Fair point, they are only suitable for dry sites but hey, it was only a suggestion.

All sugesstions are welcomed sskubisnac. I'm still searching for the holy grail...a sub 10p pen that works effectively and satisfies food safety concerns.

[Drew Adamson]

Try euroffice.co.uk, 50 pens for c.£20 inc postage, plastic BIC pens that cannot be dismantled, non-detectable, can be broken but I've used them in the dairy industry, and they are perfectly acceptable to BRC auditors.