Applied Technologies to Improve Food Weighing and Inspection

Advanced technologies to help assure quality, keep consumers safe, and protect your brand

Accurate detection, inspection, and measurement of food is integral to safety and quality – and ultimately to your brand’s reputation.  We apply technologies to improve detection and inspection processes in food manufacturing to achieve heightened sensitivity, better reliability and accuracy, and operational efficiencies with a focus on helping you continually improve business performance while protecting your brand. 

Multiscan metal detection

Metal detectors used in the food processing industry can find small particles of ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel by passing the food product through a detector containing coils wound on a non-metallic frame and connected to a high-frequency radio transmitter. When a particle of metal passes through the coils, the high frequency field is disturbed under one coil, changing the voltage by a few microvolts.

 

To improve sensitivity and enable the detection of many metal types and smaller sizes, we offer multiscan technology. Metal detectors with multiscan technology utilize up to five completely adjustable frequencies to find metal types and sizes previously undetectable. Using a true broad-spectrum approach reduces the probability of an escape by many orders of magnitude. This technology is analogous to having up to five metal detectors sequentially in a production line.

MultiScan technology improves sensitivity in metal detection

The multicoil design provides for multiple detection coils inside of the detector, each with adjustable frequencies.  As the food product passes through the coils, contaminants of various types and sizes can be detected as they create disturbances in the different frequencies monitored by the coils.   Multicsan technology allows a single metal detector to achieve the effectiveness and sensitivity that would previously require several machines operating in-line.

Metal detectors for the food manufacturing and processing industry

The Thermo Scientific Sentinel family of metal detectors provides high sensitivity detection performance to increase the probability of finding ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless steel metal contaminants in food, beverage, and other products. The Sentinel 5000 multiscan metal detection platform can scan a combination of up to five user-selectable frequencies to find all random sizes, shapes, and types of metal foreign objects.

The Thermo Scientific Sentinel 1000 Selectscan Metal Detector enables food processors to have an easy way to rapidly identify the single best frequency for an application. It tunes out product effect and adapts results to account for temperature changes and electromagnetic interference.

Thermo Scientific Quickfit Metal Detector Conveyors are suitable for most food packaging and bulk flow metal detection applications. They can be engineered for the most demanding applications and come with options for inclines, flap/drop gates, retracting belts rejects, and a heavy duty (HD) drive for large products. The Customfit conveyor can be upgraded to IP69K washdown with enhanced sanitation options.

The Thermo Scientific APEX 300 Flexible Metal Detector is designed with increased sensitivity, is compact, easy-to-install, and can be customized to fit your drop through, pipeline, and check weighing needs.

The Thermo Scientific APEX 100 Entry Level Metal Detector offers the most commonly required metal detection capabilities, making it an outstanding value for cost-sensitive applications.

X-ray inspection

X-ray scanning offers the food processing industry excellent versatility and functionality in food inspection.  X-ray inspection systems can detect a wide variety of metallic and non-metallic contaminants, but also deliver additional quality control capabilities, including the detection of missing product pieces and components, under- and over-fills, and other quality problems. 

 

Scanning systems using X-ray technology pass high energy, short wavelength light waves through the entire process stream.  As an X-ray penetrates the materials, it loses energy depending on the density of the materials it passes through.  Detectors capture the changes in the X-ray's energy and convert these signals into a grayscale image showing variations in material density. Analysis of this image can detect contaminants, inconsistencies within the product itself, packaging problems, and more. 

 

X-ray inspection systems in the food industry do not use radioactive materials to generate X-rays, instead they use high voltage X-ray tubes to generate power. When the tube is turned off, no X-ray energy is emitted.

X-ray inspection systems offer exceptional quality control capabilities

Because X-ray inspection systems scan the entire product stream, they are useful for more than just detecting contaminants. They can greatly enhance quality control and help to ensure food safety.

X-ray food inspection systems

Thermo Scientific NextGuard X-ray Detection Systems are designed for a wide variety of food applications to help find metallic and non-metallic foreign objects and ignore "wet" product effects caused by salt and moisture content, which is proven to be challenging with metal detectors.  They also offer enhanced capabilities to inspect packaged products for missing pieces or components, under- and over-fills, and other quality problems.

Thermo Scientific Xpert Sideshoot X-ray Inspection equipment helps meet the challenge of detecting foreign objects anywhere in cans and bottles.  They are high speed, high performance horizontal x-ray beam (back to front) systems that provide single beam x-ray inspection for tall, upright packages and include software specifically tailored to detect objects in all regions of cans and bottles.

Screen bulk materials like seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and sort out unwanted foreign objects with Thermo Scientific Xpert Bulk X-ray Inspection Systems. These high performance X-ray systems based on the Xpert conveyor model find contaminants such as metal, rock, plastic, and glass and remove them prior to further processing, providing instant cost savings.

Thermo Scientific Xpert Heavy Duty X-ray Inspection Systems are high-power, robust solutions designed for maximum penetration through large, dense products. They easily detect a wide range of foreign materials in larger cases, bags and trays. They can be optionally upgraded to meet IP69K washdown specifications.

Thermo Scientific Xpert Conveyor X-Ray Inspection Systems are high performance vertical X-ray beam (top down) systems that perform X-ray contaminant detection and product inspection for bags, boxes, and other flat packages. Xpert Conveyor systems meet HACCP and retailer food safety and quality requirements, can be configured for any application or challenging factory environment, and include powerful software to eliminate false rejects. They can be upgraded to meet IP69K washdown specifications.

Weighing and counting

Weighing, counting, analysis, and process control technologies are used in checkweighing systems. A checkweigher weighs and counts products in motion and rejects products that do not meet pre-determined specifications. As a package moves onto the checkweigher infeed, it is weighed using a weigh cell in the weigh table. The package then moves onto the outfeed of the checkweigher to be accepted or rejected according to the checkweigher settings.  If a problem is indicated, a product is rejected and removed from the conveyor via an air blast, bopper, or pusher. The rejected products can also be diverted or dropped into a separate area for further inspection.

 

Advances in these systems deliver reliable accuracy in weighing variable package sizes, even those that are large and heavy, without stopping or recalibrating the checkweigher conveyor. Thermo Scientific food weighing equipment accommodates many types of conveyor systems and can be customized to your specifications for maximized efficiency and consistent product throughput, even in rugged industrial environments. From raw or frozen products, bags, cases or barrels to mailers, totes and cases, our high-rate checkweighers will keep your line moving toward maximum productivity at all times.

Accurate and easy to use

Our checkweigher systems incorporate advanced technology for reliable performance and simple, easy to use user controls and software.

Inline checkweighers

Thermo Scientific Global VersaWeigh Checkweighers feature frames designed to reduce food buildup, rapid-release, adjustable conveyors and belts, and high-torque sealed brushless motors for trouble-free operation. The fixed-height Global VersaWeigh is ideal for products up to 10 kilograms (22 pounds). 

The Thermo Scientific Versa Flex Checkweighers are ideal for weighing a wide range of packaged food, pharmaceutical, and personal care products in dry applications. From light to heavy-weight packages, both the Versa Flex (fixed height) and Versa Flex GP (height-adjustable cantilever) checkweighers improve accuracy and reliability while decreasing product giveaway.

The Thermo Scientific Global Versa GP Checkweigher is a versatile, general purpose checkweigher that scans at line speeds up to 350 packages per minute without sacrificing accuracy. It comes with a compact cantilever construction for height adjustment and is ideal for packages up to 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).

The Thermo Scientific Versa Teorema Checkweigher features unparalleled speed and accuracy in today's demanding, high-rate canning lines. A feed screw properly spaces open or closed cans, steel or aluminum cans, and 2- or 3-piece cans, and weighs at speeds up to 660 cans/minute.

The Thermo Scientific Versa Chain Checkweigher boasts line speeds up to 700 packages per minute. It provides reliable high-speed weighing, control, and reject functions for cartons, cans, bottles, and pouches in dry or wet environments.

The Thermo Scientific Versa Rx Checkweigher, originally designed for the pharmaceutical industry, is of value to any application requiring highly accurate, high-rate weighing of light-weight products in a dry environment, such as small pouches of supplements or gummies. All components, including the weighing mechanism, electronics, and pneumatics for the reject device, are housed in a sanitary enclosure ideally suited for today’s ‘clean room’ environments.

Thermo Scientific Sentinel 3000 or 5000 Metal Detector with Multiscan technology can be mounted either on the weigh frame or on an external infeed conveyor to minimize space and integrate operation. Communications between the metal detector and checkweigher help ensure operation, set-up, program management, statistics, alarms, and rejection can be managed through a single controller for ease of use.

The Thermo Scientific Versa Flex Frame 44HD Checkweigher offers dependable and accurate in-line weighing of large packages without stopping the conveyor or needing to recalibrate.  It can be configured with an FDA-approved food-grade belt – making it the ideal choice food products in bags, cases, or boxes. 

ProVision software for statistical quality control

ProVision software allows the access to and collection of raw data from a manufacturers product inspection system.  Through built-in dashboards and reports, all current and historical data can be reviewed, stored, and printed.  Real time performance data can be monitored from a PC off of the production floor, any deviation from pre-set production parameters can be immediately corrected, eliminating waste and maximizing quality. 

ProVision software for statistical quality control

Real time

The operator is able to monitor key parameters of the production process in real time.

Easy

ProVision supports production operators in the collection of metrological and qualitative data.

Saving

Taking corrective actions in real time will reduce waste by up to 20% daily.