FORMING AND EXTRUSION
Today’s metal detection systems are designed for accurate detection at high speeds of
ferrous and non-ferrous metals in addition to stainless-steel contaminants.
importance of ensuring that products are not unnecessarily wasted. “Today, finding an effective inspection method that offers a rapid return on investment (ROI) is essential for confectionery manufacturers,” he says. Mark believes that x-ray inspection is the answer to
a confectioner’s prayers. He adds: “X-ray is the leading form of product inspection available on the market today, safeguarding products against a broad range of potential contaminants. More specifically for the confectionery sector, it can identify flaws in output, including damaged products or produce clumps.” Mark also says x-ray is also incredibly useful for reviewing product presentation. “X-rays can detect issues within boxes and bags, allowing confectioners to check that the product sits in the packaging as intended or highlighting faults such as broken seals or uneven distribution of ingredients. This is particularly crucial when creating ‘luxury’ products such as boxed chocolates where presentation is particularly important.” Although x-ray technology has proven results, the most significant barrier to its uptake is typically the investment required so it is important to understand the benefits that the technology can offer and the positive outcomes that it can have on in-plant cost management. Mark explains the financial implications of x-ray: “With the capacity to identify a wide range of problems, x-ray can offer incredible returns for your money. When used effectively, it will drastically reduce waste by allowing you to rectify and avoid issues earlier,” he says. X-ray technology can also offer benefits throughout the production process, enabling confectioners to ensure a precise mix of ingredients and helping ensure accurate portion control. “Add in the reduced risk of
36 Kennedy’s Confection August/September 2022
product recalls, customer complaints and lost sales, and the financial rewards are obvious,” concludes Mark.
Technology adoption
Mark Clifford - New Business Manager – UK & Ireland at Minebea Intec, has seen an increase in the number of confectionery producers adopting x-ray technology in recent years – in part due to the increasing use of foil in packaging, in addition to the fact that x-ray systems are able to detect much more than just metal. “They can also see stone, glass and other dense particles,” says Mark. “X-ray is able to undertake other quality checks too – such as highlighting missing or incomplete product. It can also see and detect any missing internal components of a product. “We have one customer making advent calendars and the primary role of the x-ray in this application is to look out for missing components. Surely there could be nothing worse than a child opening a door on their advent calendar and finding no chocolate treat!” It would appear that X-ray technology has come on in leaps and bounds in the past ten years. Today’s systems are no longer complicated to use and running costs and energy usage is now much lower than with outdated systems. In addition, the latest generation of x-ray solutions can offer lots of additional benefits that can be useful in confectionery inspection – applications such as auto product learn, which can help increase productivity by speeding up changeover times. If nothing else, surely the thought of an empty advent calendar is enough to spur you into action to take a closer look at today’s product inspection solutions and bring your inspection operations up to speed.
KennedysConfection.com
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