Metal detector test piece calibration
Good Morning all from Sri Lanka,
I need to clarify about the calibration of metal detector test pieces. How do we validate the strength of the metal pieces which are used for the periodic internal calibration of a metal detector used in a food industry? Is there a specific requirement in BRC Food issue 7 standard which requires the validation of test pieces? Will it be raised as a nonconformity against the BRC Food standard if there is no any record regarding the strength of the metal pieces used in the metal detector? Appreciate if anyone can help me in this regard......
Good Morning all from Sri Lanka,
I need to clarify about the calibration of metal detector test pieces. How do we validate the strength of the metal pieces which are used for the periodic internal calibration of a metal detector used in a food industry? Is there a specific requirement in BRC Food issue 7 standard which requires the validation of test pieces? Will it be raised as a nonconformity against the BRC Food standard if there is no any record regarding the strength of the metal pieces used in the metal detector? Appreciate if anyone can help me in this regard......
Hi marion,
"Strength" ??
The Standard test pieces should have an associated (current) Supplier Certification document (eg size/composition). This is the Validation of their "Suitability".
And IMO probably Yes.
BRC Issue 7 section 6.4 Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices spells out the need to be "checked" and when necessary "adjusted" at a predetermined frequency, based on risk assessment . This means all your measuring devices, scales, thermometers, metal detectors, instruments used to test your products ( moisture meters/water activity ect), for product safety and legality should be calibrated at some pre-determined frequency...based on our risk assessment, we chose annually. We bring in a 3rd party company to perform these certifications and then we have documentation to prove it was done. For metal detector test piece validation, we retain all purchase records from the test piece manufacturer and our 3rd party certification company verifies that our test pieces work properly.
Yes It will be brought up in an audit as it shows that you have "control" of the devices that you are using to control your processes.
Hope that helps.
BRC Issue 7 section 6.4 Calibration and Control of Measuring and Monitoring Devices spells out the need to be "checked" and when necessary "adjusted" at a predetermined frequency, based on risk assessment . This means all your measuring devices, scales, thermometers, metal detectors, instruments used to test your products ( moisture meters/water activity ect), for product safety and legality should be calibrated at some pre-determined frequency...based on our risk assessment, we chose annually. We bring in a 3rd party company to perform these certifications and then we have documentation to prove it was done. For metal detector test piece validation, we retain all purchase records from the test piece manufacturer and our 3rd party certification company verifies that our test pieces work properly.
Yes It will be brought up in an audit as it shows that you have "control" of the devices that you are using to control your processes.
Hope that helps.
Hi Bill,
Thks for above.
Not sure about the red part though.
The certified test pieces afaik are intended to validate that the MD works properly, ie is "adequately" sensitive.
(I'm not a MD expert but I guess one could dig down to the actual intensity of the MD signal which i believe some MDs now auto-do as a set-up check but signal will presumably vary with instrument. I think the more typical operational calibration/validation simply involves a reject/no-reject action.
"Calibration/validation" of the test piece itself presumably involves measuring the diameter of sphere and analysing it's composition.
PS - @Bill, Sorry, i further elaborated before seeing yr next post
Thanks Charles, we are on the same page....our 3rd party certification company uses our standardized test peices and their own to verify that the machines are working at their most sensitive level possible....that's all I was trying to say. Thanks again.
Thanks @Charles.C and @Bill78 for your valuable feedback regarding this issue. It helped me to understand the principle behind this issue.