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FOOD & BEVERAGE
FETCH THE STICK To enhance and optimise these inspection systems, automatic testing can be deployed. Running performance and verification tests at regular intervals, these automatic tests are cleaner, accurate, and labour and waste saving. A number of Fortress pet processors use Halo
automatic testing to reduce the risk of human error by eliminating the challenge of manually inserting and retrieving test sticks and balls from a closed pipeline or gravity pet food inspection systems. Test sticks involve the operators inserting the
test piece in the gap between the tube and the aperture, which is the most sensitive part of the metal detector. Whilst this may deliver a great signal, it’s not representative of testing for metal contaminants in the product flow. Equally, introducing the test balls into the actual
product flow can be even more convoluted and time-consuming. This process requires operators to recover the test sample from the product after it has flowed through the pipeline system or disassemble and reseal the pipe. Not only is this messy, but it can also increase test times from several minutes to between 15 to 20 minutes. Testing hard-to-access kibble gravity metal
detectors can be even more challenging. Climbing up above production silos to perform testing manually is usually a two-person task and can be a safety risk even with the most robust precautions in place. Additionally, dropping the test sample from a height, consistently through the exact centre of the aperture and product flow is nearly impossible. So, rarely challenges the metal detectors’ capability. To overcome these gravity access challenges, some metal detectors may be fitted with a test ball insertion port at the top of the non-metallic product tube. Although this might make it easier to insert the test balls, in most cases the freefall height is well above the local insertion port. This means that the test is performed at a slower speed and doesn’t reflect the true freefalling velocity of real-life contaminants falling from height or accurately challenge the reject reaction time. The Fortress automatic testing solution Halo
solves this by enabling pet processors to activate tests remotely, locally or automatically on a timer. Tests can be scheduled without the need to halt production to place and retrieve test samples. The validated test data can then be digitally saved for audit purposes. Using Contact 4.0, pet processors can also network multiple machines to generate more comprehensive machine performance reports. With British animal owners spending such
sizable sums on premium wet and dry foods, pet food processors need to ensure every meal and treat has undergone thorough contamination detection. No matter the ingredients or application format, pet food production lines today must reflect the authentic safety, wellbeing and trust that owners and their faithful companions expect.
Fortress Technology
www.fortresstechnology.co.uk
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