With its GC Series conveyorized metal detection systems, Mettler-Toledo addresses the product inspection of packaged and unpackaged food and non-food products for metallic foreign bodies, delivering increased productivity and uptime.
The modular design of the GC Series’ integrated system offers manufacturers the flexibility to meet different food safety compliance and production needs. Selecting a complete system solution, that is metal detector and conveyor, from a single supplier, will deliver optimal mechanical and electrical integration within a production environment to enhance productivity. Metal detector specific features available on GC Series systems such as Intuitive Clustering and Reduced Test Mode are helping food manufacturers to improve production efficiency and uptime by completing the inspection of more products in less time than previously reported.
The GC Series systems boast a modular design to suit manufacturers’ applications, product characteristics as well as production requirements. Manufacturers initially select a Mettler-Toledo metal detection head, such as the Signature, Signature Touch, Profile/Profile RB or Profile Advantage metal detector. This is then integrated with a customizable and scalable conveying system, including a choice of polyurethane or modular belts. Finally, the system is configured with the appropriate material handling system of reject mechanisms needed for the safe removal of non-conforming products and failsafe elements to prove due diligence.
“The unique modular design of the GC Series is key to a future-proof conveyorized system,” emphasizes Mike Bradley, Head of Market Management, Safeline Metal Detection. “We have created a design that is easily modified to meet the changing requirements for food manufacturers. With production costs increasing, our customers need solutions that help to reduce total cost of ownership and will grow with their business. The modular design also means that service interventions are safer, faster and easier – which in turn increases system availability and reduces production downtime.”
The conveyorized metal detectors present a raft of additional operational benefits that address the current production and compliance challenges of manufacturers, as well as featuring a modular design that en-ables a smooth upgrade path from stop alarm to full due diligence, as and when required. For instance, the Profile Advantage system saves costs and improves productivity through its dynamic Product Signal Suppression technology. This removes the product signal variation that is present in most natural, fresh and chilled products, virtually eliminating false rejects. Users can view on-screen product histograms that display the product signal strength of all “good” products inspected, allowing monitoring of trends and better decision-making.
Intuitive Clustering allows products with similar characteristics to be grouped into a single operational setting. This removes the need for frequent operator intervention and changes to product settings, reducing potential for errors, and allowing downtime during a product change to be kept to a minimum. The majority of manufacturers using Intuitive Clustering in wet food segments such as bakery have reported that they have reduced the time lost to product changeovers by a factor of four. Productivity savings potentially can equate to hundreds of hours per year.
