A metal detector conveyor identifies metal impurities in products on an assembly line. Numerous systems to find and flag metals in samples are available to allow companies to find a variety of metal types, including ferrous and nonferrous metals. These systems provide quality and safety control for products and offer nondestructive testing of materials and components to make sure they remain pure. Manufacturers of such systems can develop and install custom products when required by customers and also provide replacement parts and accessory components to upgrade existing systems.
Surfaces like belts, chains, and rollers can all be used in a metal detector conveyor. Material passes over, through, or below a testing area that quickly scans for signs of metals. Some systems are extremely sensitive, capable of picking up very low concentrations of materials of interest. It may be possible to adjust system sensitivity and the types of metals it picks up to allow it to be used on assembly lines for several products. Reports may be generated to track assembly line performance.
As materials pass through, if their metal content is too high, the metal detector conveyor may flag them, push them off the line for inspection, or perform other tasks. These reactions can be programed into the system, depending on the situation and the needs. For additional quality control protection the system may automatically shut down the line if too many samples are contaminated or an unusually high level of contamination is detected, as this suggests there may be a problem.
In food production, a metal detector conveyor allows companies to catch and eliminate contaminated packaged foods, components, and other products. Government standards usually set a maximum for metals and other contaminants. Companies that exceed this can be subject to fines and other measures. Such systems can also be useful in the processing of other products that should contain low amounts of metal, like engineered wood components.
A metal detector conveyor may be available to lease. This can be helpful when a company needs one only for a short period of time to complete a project, temporarily replace damaged equipment, or for other reasons. Leases may come with complete coverage, where the manufacturer installs, inspects, and maintains the conveyor for the customer. Used devices are also available, for companies that cannot afford brand new systems but find leased products do not suit their needs because they have long term requirements.
