Metal detection with metal packaging

This is not my area but I am curious: how do you do metal detection for things packed in metal e.g. ready meals in foil trays, cans of pop, tins of beans, drums of oil etc?

I can see that with liquids you could filter them at point of packing but what is done for things that cannot be filtered or sieved?

This is not my area but I am curious: how do you do metal detection for things packed in metal e.g. ready meals in foil trays, cans of pop, tins of beans, drums of oil etc?

I can see that with liquids you could filter them at point of packing but what is done for things that cannot be filtered or sieved?

Hi D-D,

Let me add first that I work for x-ray inspection system suuplier.

X-ray inspection systems can ideally be used for detection of metals in metalized foil packs or metal cans etc. It can also detect some types of non-metallic contaminants and may also be used for inspection of other quality parameters depending on the application.

Kiran

There are two types of metal detectors (1) balanced coil - this is used for all products & opackagiages that do not have metal present and will detect ferrous, non-ferrous & stainless steel. the other type is (2) ferrous-in-foil- this will only detect ferrous metal and is normally used where products are packaged in Aluminium foil trays. For solid metals such as canned foods metal detection in pack is not an option. there you need to use an inline system

As the PP said, you can do ferrous in foil detection but it's worth remembering it is nigh on useless for detecting anything other than iron. It won't detect stainless steel unless you have a HUGE lump of it. (I mean like a 100g lump!)

The best way to go for product in foil trays is x-ray.

Although it's worth remembering that both x-rays and metal detectors are pretty poor at picking up aluminium so "metal detectors" doesn't necessarily mean "all metal is detected".

As others have said, you can have in line filters but also you can have "throat" metal detection. This detects product passing through a pipe and can work where filtration wouldn't, e.g. where there are lumps.

I agree with both Kiran and campbell and like Kiran work with an equipment supplier.

For foil type products, in the past, the Ferrous-in-Foil type of metal detectors were commonly utilized however, detection of non-conductive materials such as SS and some non-ferrous materials was not possible.

With the increased utilization of x-ray in the manufacturing process, these devices have become the preferred solution when inspecting products in conductive packaging.

It is important to utilize the best and proper technology to prevent or reduce the particular hazards that were identified through the HACCP procedures.

Both technologies will alert you to possible contamination however, it is important to have a robust program surrounding these devices to identify the source and initiate corrective action to PREVENT the hazard as a means of continuous improvement

This is not my area but I am curious: how do you do metal detection for things packed in metal e.g. ready meals in foil trays, cans of pop, tins of beans, drums of oil etc?

I can see that with liquids you could filter them at point of packing but what is done for things that cannot be filtered or sieved?

Hi D-D,

What can be done at the point of packing is to pass the product (that cannot be filtered or sieved) through a magnet grid hermetically encased in a thin stainless sheet. That will remove the metals from the product if there are, before packing in metal package.

Hello D-D,

X-ray foreign material detectors can be useful. Given the right packaging condition they can also detect rocks, seafood shells, and hard bone.

This is not my area but I am curious: how do you do metal detection for things packed in metal e.g. ready meals in foil trays, cans of pop, tins of beans, drums of oil etc?

I can see that with liquids you could filter them at point of packing but what is done for things that cannot be filtered or sieved?

Hello D-D,

Regarding metal pan and metal detectors: We find that x-ray detectors can not only detect dense metals but also stones, hard bone, and seafood shells.

Hello D-D,

Regarding metal pan and metal detectors: We find that x-ray detectors can not only detect dense metals but also stones, hard bone, and seafood shells.

X-Ray set-up cost is just too high for small to medium manufacturers plus the additional concern on employee's safety and health. The cost of personnel and equipment maintenance is also a burden. Alternative process method seems a more commercially viable approach unless absolutely unavoidable, otherwise X-Ray appears to be a justified mean to serve the end when human work errors can be avoided. Justification vs Verification