6 replies to this topic

[Plastic Ducky]

Hi all,

 

QUESTION:

 

Aseptic pouch product. X-ray has a high level of false positives. Maintenance has fine-tuned and optimized but the high number (0.54%) of false positives continue. Current policy is disposal.

 

Can I take x-ray kick outs and run them through three times with all three successful passes allow the product to go to commerce and a single rejection out of the three being destruction? 

 

What other methods do you all use to mitigate false positives on x-ray or metal detection?

 

Sincerely,

 

Plastic Ducky

[OrRedFood]

Can you contact the X-ray manufacturer (or ask maintenance to do it)?  They should be able to tell you what the expected rate of false positives is for your particular product.  I wouldn't try to set up a system to work around the false positives unless the X-ray manufacturer tells you that's the only solution and why it is that way..  

 

Some maintenance departments are touchy about QA contacting manufacturers in my experience, they feel like you are going around them, or don't trust them.  I hope that's not your situation, good luck!

[SQFconsultant]

We had an issue similar to this.

Tech suggested passing thru 3 more times but I wanted the machine checked first and it was determined the unit was defective and had to be replaced and an additional one (redundant) was installed.

[Scampi]

Are you sure your packaging laminations have not changed??  This could also be the source of your issue    and/or manufacturing defects in the packaging

 

 

I would not default to the 3 times pass 

[G M]

Hi all,

 

QUESTION:

 

Aseptic pouch product. X-ray has a high level of false positives. Maintenance has fine-tuned and optimized but the high number (0.54%) of false positives continue. Current policy is disposal.

 

Can I take x-ray kick outs and run them through three times with all three successful passes allow the product to go to commerce and a single rejection out of the three being destruction? 

 

What other methods do you all use to mitigate false positives on x-ray or metal detection?

 

Sincerely,

 

Plastic Ducky

 

As others have suggested, I would be very reluctant to release any package that had been rejected without knowing for certain WHY it had been rejected. 

 

0.5% sounds high for false rejects, but we don't know the nature of the product or packaging.  Some of the items we run can come close to that with metal detectors, but that's a result of moisture/salt content.

 

Fortunately our product allows for rework, so packs are opened and individual pieces are subject to detection to search for potential FM.

[Kiran]

I would suggest to discuss with x-ray manufacturer.  0.5% FRR for pouch products seems high.

[YNA QA]

Are you sure your packaging laminations have not changed??  This could also be the source of your issue    and/or manufacturing defects in the packaging

 

 

I would not default to the 3 times pass 

 

I would suggest this as well.  Have had similar issues at two past jobs both due to FM in the packaging itself that was causing false kick-offs.  I would do a two fold approach- maintenance should check with the x-ray manufacturer to see if there are issues, and I would verify with pouch producer to see if you have a pouch issue- their parameters could have changed, and you may also have some FM in packaging that the supplier doesn't know about.  When in doubt take some empties and return to the supplier and have them verify.