FEATURE INSPECTION & MEASUREMENT
METAL DETECTORS DELIVER CCP protection by Stealth
A metal detection system from Fortress is acting as a critical control point at the end of a packaging line installed in a bakery, ensuring detection of the smallest contaminants
with its own Code of Practice (COP) and this project was no exception. “With the COP and the huge product range the spec I was putting out to suppliers was as long as your arm and their response needed to be quick,” explains Hacker. “A huge deciding factor was that Fortress already knew the specifications the machines would have to comply with to meet the retailer’s COP for metal detectors from the sensitivity of the detector to padlocks on the reject bins.”
F
ortress Technology has supplied seven Stealth metal detectors combined with Vector conveyors as part of a new, centralised bakery for a major retailer. Each Fortress system acts as a critical control point (CCP) at the end of a packaging line. According to the site’s primary contractor Frontline Packaging Fortress’s ability to meet extremely tight deadlines and the company’s expert knowledge regarding retailer requirements were key considerations in clinching the deal as part of this multi- million-pound project.
The packaging section handles over 300 artisan products across its six lines, one of which can handle two product streams. Products range from cookies to farmhouse bloomers and French sticks
often in production runs that last 20 or 30 minutes.
“The broad size range and frequent changeovers meant there is a lot of non- standard engineering involved in these lines,” says Tony Hacker, managing director with Frontline Packaging.
SHORT TIMEFRAME “The time pressure was extreme with the initial enquiry arriving with us in February and a deadline to go live in June so when I ‘went shopping’ for suppliers to provide the pieces of equipment that we don’t build ourselves I set a lot of store by which supplier gave me good support at the time of enquiry.” Each of the major supermarkets
demand that equipment suppliers comply HIGH SPEED MEASUREMENT ON SHINY AND GLOWING METALS
Micro-Epsilon UK has extended its range of Blue Laser triangulation sensors for high speed distance, displacement and position measurement. The special characteristics of the blue wavelength laser light make the sensors suitable for a wide range of high precision measurements on materials including shiny metals, highly polished surfaces, red-hot glowing metals and silicon and organic materials such as food, wood and wood veneers. Micro-Epsilon’s Blue Laser Sensors have been designed specifically for applications where red laser
24 JULY/AUGUST 2015 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
diode sensors do not perform well. The measuring rate of the sensor is adjustable up to 49.02kHz, enabling it to perform high precision measurements of fast-moving objects. As the controller is integrated into the sensor housing the sensor is suitable for mounting in restricted spaces; it weighs 550g with dimensions of 97mm x 75mm x 30mm.
Micro-Epsilon UK
www.micro-epsilon.co.uk
T: 0151 355 6070 Enter 319
All Stealth units use digital signal processing technology and have high sensitivity levels to ensure the detection of the smallest ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel contaminants
CUSTOMISING THE SYSTEM When it came to customising the Fortress systems with non-standard elements, the company’s British-based engineering department was able to check what was possible and respond within a day. For example, on the line that would be handling baguettes both pusher and reject bin needed to be enlarged to handle the awkward shape. All the systems were fitted with custom-built guards to protect them from trollies manoeuvring around the site once the bakery was up and running. Fortress delivered the systems on-time and on-budget. All Stealth units use digital signal processing technology and have high sensitivity levels to ensure the detection of the smallest ferrous, non- ferrous and stainless steel contaminants. The built-in data collection software with USB data transfer establishes the Stealth as an effective CCP complying with stringent HACCP regulations. The systems are easy to use. In the Frontline project; only a single basic training session was needed to enable bakery operators to adjust the settings to handle all the different products. “All the systems were installed in week one of June and were signed off by the end of the month,” concludes Hacker. “I was very satisfied with the support I received from Fortress and would be happy to work with them or recommend them to other clients in the future.”
Fortress Technology T 01295 256266
www.fortresstechnology.co.uk Enter 320
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