Detecting Glass
Detecting Glass in X-Ray Systems
August 16, 2018
Food Safety
Commitment to Food Safety
January 10, 2019
Detecting Glass
Detecting Glass in X-Ray Systems
August 16, 2018
Food Safety
Commitment to Food Safety
January 10, 2019
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Sample Certificates of Conformity

Certificate of ConformityWhy Do I Need Certificates of Conformity

What is a Certificate of Conformity?

Certificates of Conformity are critical in the world of Quality Assurance.  A COC is the document stating that the test piece supplied meets the required specifications for the industry. This is provided by a competent authority or vendor (like Regal Packaging Services).  We offer our customers a free certificate with the purchase of every test piece.  It is made available either as sent with an order, by download or by email. These certificates of conformity, through Regal’s Testrods.com division, never expire or need to be updated. They are good for the life of the test piece.

Why Do I Need a Certificate of Conformity?

Certificates of Conformity provide the means to track a test piece from your production line back to the company who provided it.  And even back to the company who made the metal inside the test piece. However, the vendor who will supply the certificate is ordinarily the manufacturer of the test piece.  This covers the metal as well as the plastic or other material housing the metal. Metal is sourced by a company, like us,  and then used to insert into various type of test pieces. Regal Packaging certifies that the housing and adhesive are food grade safe and the metal meets NIST standards.

When an auditor arrives to inspect a production facility, he/she will most likely ask to see the certificates of conformity.  He needs to know about the test pieces used for the test pieces being used on the line. There will always be a method, usually a numbering system, which identifies the corresponding certificate. An inspector may want to track the validity of conformance to a HACCP plan or industry standards. You have the assurance that can be accomplished. In other words, for example, if you say your metal detection system can detect 1.0mm Ferrous material, you can confirm that for the inspector.  We can show that as the supplier for your test pieces, we have, in fact, provided you with the test piece to validate that claim.

Why Do Certificate Numbers Seem So Random?

Certificate numbers can vary widely because a batch or lot of metal.  This is the number used identify a variety of variables, including date, time, machinery and metal origin. A certificate for a 2.0mm Ferrous test piece may have two, three, or any multiple of certificate numbers.  This happens over time based on the variables described above.

Why Does the Same Certificate Number Appear on Different Kinds of Test Pieces?

Certificate numbers are always tied to the metal inside the test piece. A cylinder with a 2.0mm ferrous ball can be the same as a card, testrod or other type test piece.  This is true as long as it houses metal from the same batch (lot).

Do I need to update my certificates annually?

Certificates of conformity should never need to be updated unless you have purchased new test pieces with a different number. The metal detector signal produced from these products does not deteriorate over time.   So any company proposing that certificates must be updated is likely looking for a way to make an additional sale for something unnecessary.

How much can I expect to spend for certificates of conformity?

Depending on where you purchase your test pieces, you can expect to pay as much as $100 each for every certificate. At Regal Packaging Services, we provide all certificates at no charge. We believe the certificate is an extension of the product. We make certificates easily available via our website or by contacting customer service. Certificates of conformity can be mailed, included with your order, emailed or downloaded from our website.

What makes certification in the Food Industry any different from other industries?

In regard to test pieces, food safety certification should always be a third-party process. This is verification demonstrating that processes and systems meet accepted food safety standards. In the food industry, there is a unique distinction from other certificates such as supplier declarations, laboratory tests or other reports. Certification within this industry is based on test results, inspections and audits.  These are ultimately designed to protect consumers, and to give the public confidence in food products and the industry. When metal shows up in food because a company failed to use certified test pieces, it affects the company’s credibility.

And it won’t matter whether the contaminant is discovered in a canned, bagged, boxed, frozen or fresh product.  Consumers will begin to mistrust the food industry at a foundational level. Any given company can destroy its reputation when a contaminant is uncovered in its brand. So test pieces, whether in metal detection or x-ray processes, while a small part of production, are no less critical.

When no legal policies are in place for a particular sector of the food industry or a need to conform to standards, food safety certification at every level should be considered more imperative than simply voluntary. In such cases, a company may set its own levels of certification, such as a HACCP plan, conformity to another given standard, such as an in-house product constraint, or a blueprint for gaining a strategic advantage in the marketplace, always keeping in mind that food safety certification works as an incentive to consumers for company and brand loyalty.

Trustworthy Source

With increased awareness and news highlights from recent food recalls, consumers are insisting on an increase in standards in every part of the global supply chain. Those businesses that make proper use of certified test pieces purchased from a trustworthy enterprise will gain a competitive benefit in the market.

Due diligence is absolutely vital in testing. At a basic level, it demonstrates that management is meeting its legal responsibilities as it relates to food safety and regulations and is doing so efficiently and effectively. In a variety of circumstances, an operational HACCP plan can serve as a defense in against litigation of food contamination. Many associations such as packing, horticultural, packaging and quality assurance offer safety standards and certification procedures that may comply with or identify national standards and may be harmonized with the international conventions of the HACCP plan.

The fact that the Testrods division of Regal Packaging Services is certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards gives you the confidence that our systems and manufacturing policies are monitored, consistent and designed specifically to the needs of the food, pharmaceutical and textile industries.  Our sales and service teams have thousands of hours experience in the field, assisting our customers meet the demands not only of their own HACCP plan but also of the BRC and GFSI.  We recently began cataloging and maintaining records of NIST documentation and sphericity reports.  You won’t find that kind of process among any of our competitors.  We know the ever increasing demands of the marketplace and understand the value of being a dependable, knowledgeable and qualified vendor for metal detection and x-ray inspection verification test pieces.  And our direct support and participation in the field by way of Fortress Technology metal detector sales and audits on all brands of metal detector and x-ray systems demonstrates we’re a cut above the competition.

Sample Ferrous Certificate

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Floatable Thermoform Test Cards

Some applications involve large tubs, vats, or some other type of product travel where it would be nice to have a test piece that floats. Once again, our thermoform cards provide the simplest solution. We simply insert some type of structure that forces the thermoform card to retain air, which, of course, is what makes it float. We have also manufactured floating rods, which are more difficult because there is less space to close in enough air to make the rod float but is doable.

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We took an ordinary plastic “chip clip” as defined by the customer and embedded the contaminant into the clip. The clip can be attached to the product on the line without damaging or opening the product for testing purposes.

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Bone is a difficult contaminant to find because it can vary widely based on the size, age, and calcium content (as well as feed used) of the animal. After working with several customers, Regal Packaging Services offers Pork, Beef and Chicken Bone Simulate. We have a small range of sizes at a variety of depths to simulate whatever you might expect to find in the product. Our recommendation (assuming your x-ray has visual display) is always to start with a multi-card. Using a multi-card gives you an easy way to test several sizes and depths to determine what matches the bone you’re using. Once you’ve made a comparison, testing the card against the bone you’re looking for, you can purchase a card with a single contaminant for regular testing.

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This small pill shaped test piece is used in a system with a vacuum tube that shoots the test piece through the aperture and returns it to the “home” base. Your system may never be like it, but the point is that we can make a customized solution no matter how unusual or impossible it might seem.

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As you may have seen in some of the other thermoform card descriptions, we can put nearly as many seeds as you can imagine on a single card. Pictured here you will find a wide variety of configurations and contaminants. Just let us know your specs: size of the card (up to 8” x 8”) along with size and type contaminant(s) and we’ll get you a quote as quickly as possible. Working with a multi-card is especially helpful when you are looking for multiple types of contaminants or when you want to determine what size of the same contaminant you are able to detect. In that event, once the size is chosen, you can order individual card(s) for regular, standard inspection and detection.

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There are a wide range of applications that require a test piece much longer than our standard 5” or 6” Testrods. We can make up to 3/8” x 34” or 1/2” x 34” rigid test pieces which can then be extended well beyond that length with a “handle” made of acetal cylinder larger than the 3/8” or 1/2” extension. In the photos, we used a 1” x 24” cylinder handle with a 3/8” x 24” inch extension.

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Test pieces can be made in a variety of sizes and given a pointed end in applications that require the contaminant (metal) to be inserted into a food package such as sugar or some other soft packaged food product. This allows the metal to reach the center of the aperture.

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Double-End Test Whips are also available, with metal in both ends. One consideration is to make certain that the whip is long enough to keep the metal on the non-testing side of the whip outside the metal free zone of your detector. If you insert, for instance one end of a whip with 2.0mm and 3.0mm Ferrous, you need to make certain that the 2.0mm metal doesn’t affect the detection of the 3.0mm metal (and vice versa). If the 3.0mm metal is inside the metal free zone, then the detector will be reacting to the 2.0 as well as the 3.0 as if they were combined.

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Multi-seed laminate test cards are designed for seeds 4.0mm or less. Multi-cards are useful in x-ray inspection to determine what sizes and types of contaminants your system can achieve. They can be especially useful in temperate environments and applications. If your application is rugged or wet, or your standards are larger, we recommend our thermoform multi-cards.

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We can simulate a variety of packaging in an application where you need the test piece to mimic what is traveling down the production line. In this case, we manufactured a clear “package” with the seed inside. With this method, the customer is able to reject the container appropriately, and, in the event the package is not rejected, it is easily seen by the line worker for manual removal.

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There are two types of “candy bars” pictured here – one similar to a flat candy bar and the other in a custom, near perfect copy of a candy bar. Since we’re now able to produce many variations using colored material, the copy was made in red (Fe), green (NFe) and blue (SS 316). We have the equipment to accomplish nearly anything you can imagine, and these kinds of designs are proof positive.

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Need a test piece that looks and handles like chicken nugget? We can do it. Interestingly enough, in this situation, our first version for the customer left too much “void” in the hole where the metal was placed. Given the sensitivity the customer system was using, the void had the effect of causing false positives. We were able to minimize that hole and supply the test piece with almost no void. It’s an example of how we can work with you before, during and after manufacturing to ensure all the specifications were met.

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Our standard acetal card is 2 1/4"x3 3/8,” but if needed, we can cut that size down to as small as 1 1/4” x 1 1/4” (with limited engraving). If a larger card or a card with multiple seeds is needed, see our Custom Shape-Size Blocks and Tablets.

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This distinctive test piece was created to mimic an actual hamburger patty. The customer supplied photos of the raw product, which we were able to reproduce and then we placed blue glove contaminant. Using this configuration, the customer was able to determine what size piece the vision scanning system could detect with the raw burger as the background. Had they simply used a blank card with the glove, the system could easily have achieved contaminant rejection, but they needed to be sure the system could “see” the blue against the product itself.

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A card with 100 seeds in a 10x10 configuration is used to place beneath whole chickens on a production line. This gives the x-ray system operator the ability not just to see IF the equipment can detect the metal in the card, but also WHERE the equipment can detect it. If there is a problem, the operator (or company) can make any changes necessary to achieve the end goal – safe chicken in this case. This card really highlights another valuable facet of our thermoform cards.

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In this scenario, a company processing sugar needed to have a “bag” simulated with the same weight in order to accurately fall through the reject mechanism. A lighter test piece had the risk of passing over the reject mechanism.

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Our standard cubes are 1” and 1.5,” but we can also manufacture other sizes if needed. The cubes shown here are 1/2" in dimensions. Cubes can be helpful in applications where a ball or cylinder may bounce or roll away during testing, making their retrieval difficult, or, in some cases, present a hazard to the product or production equipment.

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This is a test piece that is dropped into a bottle. It’s designed so that the metal appears in the center of the aperture when testing the metal detector. In addition, the round stop makes the test piece easily removable after testing.

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Hexagonal Shaped test pieces can be very useful in places where a cylinder or ball might roll or bounce around a production floor whether dropped by a line worker or ejection from a reject mechanism. Hexagons are similar in weight to the 1inch cylinders without having the smooth, rounded cylinder edge.

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Our customer in this plant needed a test piece with a thickness less than 5.0mm. Because we have the capacity to customize sizes and shapes, we were able to mill down a product that met their specifications. That’s always our goal, meeting the specs you need for your product, testing environment and contaminants.