Foreign body detectors for safety in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries
Minebea Intec offers high-performance foreign body detectors - including precise metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems - that reliably detect and sort out foreign bodies in production and packaging lines. Their use is essential for quality assurance in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries as well as other sectors where the highest standards of product safety are required. Our detection solutions help companies to comply with HACCP, IFS and BRC regulations, minimise the risk of expensive product recalls and protect brand image by ensuring consistently high product quality.
How does foreign body detection work?
Minebea Intec designs and manufactures industrial foreign body detectors and foreign body detection systems for the inspection of food and other products. First and foremost is the protection of humans: Contaminated goods are detected and ejected by the systems; consumer protection is the most important asset here.
Furthermore, machines in production chains are also protected by the detectors: Foreign bodies in the product stream can cause machines to be damaged during further processing. Legal regulations also make the use of such devices mandatory for the plant manufacturer in some cases.
The systems can detect various types of foreign bodies. A distinction is made between metal detectors and X-ray inspection systems. Industrial metal detectors are based on a coil that generates an electromagnetic field in the search tunnel. Each passing product leaves a specific pattern. As soon as deviations are detected, this indicates contamination. Special round coils such as Vistus Freefall detect foreign objects in the falling product stream, such as bulk materials, snack food for example. With the Flexus? Combi, Minebea Intec even offers a combination of checkweigher and metal detector: This gives users maximum quality control in a minimum of space.
What are the areas of application for foreign body detection?
The protection of production facilities, on the other hand, is a typical concern of the chemical industry, Plastics, rubber, recycling and wood industry. In the chemical industry for example, metal detectors are used for the inspection of reprocessed plastics to avoid damage to cost-intensive moulds.
All products contaminated with foreign bodies are reliably discharged from the production or packaging line by our inspection products. This ensures that the final product is not contaminated and minimizes the risk of product recalls. But It is not only consumer protection that plays an important role: production equipment can also be damaged by foreign bodies in the product during further processing. Metal detectors therefore play a doubly important role in production.
The use of X-ray inspection systems in the food industry has increased considerably in recent years. The systems have proven to be a good investment in product safety, integrity and quality. Their ability to detect foreign bodies in products and reliably reject them from the production or packaging line promotes compliance with industry standards such as HACCP, IFS and BRC, protects brand image and helps avoid costly product recalls.
How the right technologies can provide effective protection against recalls to the food industry
Any recall of food products from the retail trade represents a threat to the manufacturer's reputation and poses a risk of considerable economic damages
What tasks are detection systems used for?
In addition to consumer protection, foreign body detectors are also used to ensure product quality and integrity. Minebea Intec solutions ensure both consumer and machine protection through maximum detection performance. The products can be found at various points in a production chain and form the critical control points: The devices can be used to inspect loose materials and goods in the incoming goods area in order to eliminate contaminated raw material.
Another important instance is the check of packaged goods before the goods reach despatch. Metal detectors and X-ray inspection equipment ensure product quality here. But X-ray systems such as the Dymond series are not only used for foreign body detection. Standard tasks, which are traditionally attributed to checkweighers, are also performed by modern systems. These include completeness checks, fill level checks, the geometric detection of, for example, cavities or cracks in the product and even the approximate calculation of the product weight.
Which properties of foreign body detectors are important?
The selection of the right foreign body detector depends primarily on the product to be inspected. The following applies to X-ray equipment: the thicker and denser the product, the more X-ray energy is required. The contrast and ultimately the sensitivity of the system must be kept in mind according to the customer's requirements. Flexibility results from different detector resolutions: This influences the minimum foreign body size that can be detected by the system.
The sensitivity of a metal detection coil, on the other hand, depends essentially on its operating frequency and the conductivity of the product (product effect). For production lines with different products and product effects, the use of devices with multi-frequency technology such as the Vistus series is recommended. For many customers, the dimensions of the search coil are also important: in many production plants, for example, there is limited space; here, compact devices such as the Vistus fit the bill with it‘s compact dimensions and consistently good detection results.
If you need more information about metal detection and X-ray inspection systems, we recommend our whitepapers. If you have further questions on this topic or are looking for an individual solution for your application, please use the contact form below or send an e-mail to our sales team.
FAQ
What are foreign bodies in food?
Foreign bodies in food are unwanted, usually physical contaminants that enter the product during the production process or as a result of external factors. These include glass, metal parts, plastic residues or organic materials that can impair product quality and safety.
How can foreign bodies get into food?
Foreign bodies can enter food at various stages of production. During the raw material stage, contaminants such as stones, soil, or plant debris may be introduced from fields or during harvesting. In production, errors in the processing line, such as defective machines, worn-out components, or inadequate cleaning processes, can lead to the presence of foreign materials. Transport and storage stages also pose risks, as improper handling or packaging may allow foreign bodies like wood splinters, glass fragments, or pests to infiltrate the food.
How do you detect and reject foreign bodies in food?
Foreign body detectors, such as metal or X-ray detectors, reliably detect foreign bodies and eject them from the production process. These technologies thoroughly check the products for physical contaminants and thus ensure compliance with the highest standards of food quality.
What role does traceability in production play in contamination detection?
Traceability is crucial in order to quickly find the cause in the production process when foreign bodies are detected and to trace affected batches in a targeted manner. It enables precise documentation of all process steps and significantly improves quality assurance.
What measures can I take to prevent Foreign bodies in food?
In addition to the use of foreign body detectors, regular maintenance, inspections and strict hygiene measures can help to prevent foreign bodies in the production process.
Foreign bodies in food - what to do if they are discovered?
If a foreign body is discovered, it is crucial to isolate the product as quickly as possible and investigate how it came to be there. Foreign body detectors help to reliably remove contaminated products from the production process.
What has become of the Boekels brand?
The Boekels brand has historically stood for high-quality metal detectors "Made in Germany". Many companies in the food and packaging industries associate the name Boekels with durable technology and reliable detection. Today, this expertise lives on under the umbrella of Minebea Intec: The Inspection division of Minebea Intec emerged from the long-established Boekels company and has been continuously developing the technology ever since – with a focus on precision, process reliability and innovation.
Are Boekels metal detectors still available?
Metal detectors under the Boekels name are no longer produced. The current generation of high-performance detection solutions is offered by Minebea Intec – based on decades of development experience from the Boekels era. Devices such as the Mitus? metal detector or the Vistus? metal detector are now synonymous with maximum detection sensitivity and integrate state-of-the-art technology in a user-friendly design.
Who offers spare parts or support for Boekels metal detectors today?
As the successor of Boekels, Minebea Intec offers comprehensive service for many former Boekels metal detectors – including maintenance, spare parts and modernisation options. Our Engineering Support team will be happy to help you analyse your existing equipment and make it future-proof.
Is there a modern alternative to Boekels metal detectors?
Yes, Minebea Intec's current metal detectors offer you technologically more advanced successors. Products such as the Mitus? metal detector and the Vistus? metal detector impress with their precise detection of foreign bodies – even with challenging products or high production speeds. They thus offer a future-proof solution for all those who have relied on Boekels in the past.
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