Metal Detection Basics
Down to the Basics
July 8, 2020
Types and Sizes of Metals
Types and Sizes of Metals
October 22, 2020
Metal Detection Basics
Down to the Basics
July 8, 2020
Types and Sizes of Metals
Types and Sizes of Metals
October 22, 2020
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Custom Test PIeces

We can meet any challenge for Custom Test Pieces

Custom Test Pieces

Imagine for a moment that your production line involves an overhead gravity feed metal detector.  Your HACCP plan calls for regular, hourly testing to ensure food safety. But your operator has to climb significantly steep set of stairs.  Certainly, there are measures that can be taken to protect the operator’s safety, right?  But why not design a testing system that can be done from the ground.  Sound plausible?  Well that’s exactly what one of our customers asked us to do.  Custom test pieces are our specialty.

Innovation

With a little time and ingenuity, we were able to meet the demand.  Using the flexible material we use for our 20” Testwhips, we put together a 20 foot “rope” with an open end.  The rope consisted of 3 sections: 1 red (Ferrous), 1 green (non-ferrous) and 1 blue (stainless steel 316).  Each length was just under 7 feet in length, with the appropriate ball in the end.  The ends were then joined together.  After feeding the rope through the metal detector and a loop above the detector, the customer then bonded together the last joint.  Now, standing on the ground, the operator can feed the entire rope through the system,.  The testing is done for all 3 types of metal.  The rope is simply pulled to the side when not in use at a section where there is no metal.

Or maybe you need a test piece shaped exactly like your product.  You want to use it in a tray as if it were an actual product.  We have designed and manufactured several, including one that mirrored the unique shape of a specialty ice cream bar.  Then again, your test piece may need to be small.  It needs to fit in a vacuum tube where it will be cycled through several detectors in quick shot test.  Perhaps it should be shaped like an octagon or a cube or have a pointed end to be inserted into a bagged product.  At Testrods.com, nothing limits the design possibilities.

Challenge Us

There isn’t a challenge yet that we haven’t been able to meet for custom test pieces.  But it’s not just about meeting a challenge.  Certainly, it’s fun to solve a food line riddle, so to speak.  More importantly, however, we take great satisfaction in helping our customers find the simplest, most efficient and effective means of keeping their product safe.  It’s the driving force behind everything we do.

At Regal Packaging Services, we’re not just selling or servicing Fortress Technology metal detectors.  And we’re not just providing Audit Services to any metal detector or x-ray inspection system you might have.  We want you to have complete confidence that you’re meeting the stringent demands of our HACCP plan and the pressures of the marketplace.  And we know that sometimes requires quality, certified custom test pieces.

We’re Shoppers, Too!

After all, we’re not only in the business of supplying technology in the food industry, we’re also customers at the grocery store.  When I pick up a can of soup or a box of cereal, I want to have confidence in the manufacturer of the product.  I want to know that when I sit down at the dinner table with my family, I won’t have to think about biting down on a chunk of metal or some other contaminant.

Testrods.com offers a wide variety of sizes and contaminant types, including Ferrous (Chrome Steel), Non-Ferrous (Brass), Stainless Steel 316, Aluminum, Soda-Lime Glass, Ceramic, PTFE (Teflon), Acetal (Delrin) and Rubber.

No matter the size, shape or weight of test piece you need, give us a call at 866-691-8560 or email testrods@testrods.com and we’ll provide the solution for your custom test pieces.

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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.