Fortress Technology (Europe) Ltd

Fortress Technology’s newest version of Halo automatic testing technology is a failsafe and cost efficient way for food processors to periodically test inspection metal detectors.

Forming an important part of manufacturing due diligence, automatic testing offers a repeatable and objective overview, checking that your metal detector is working as it should. Halo 2 provides food suppliers with a traceable and auditable testing procedure, satisfying retailer Codes of Practice. Capable of independently testing for all metal materials - ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel - the system also checks the performance of the reject system.

Because Halo is an external device, it gives manufacturers a true measure of how each metal detector is performing. It automatically generates a signal calibrated to specified sphere sizes, logging the test results to provide a reliable audit trail.

Traditionally installed on throat, pipeline and gravity metal detectors that inspect loose of free-falling products, including rice, sauces, cereals, powders, corn, sugar and snack foods, Fortress’s latest release has now been adapted to work with a conveyor style metal detector to further reduce operational costs.

The costs of conducting these tests manually on such a regular basis can be high. Given the growing importance for data integrity, automatic testing tackles this drain on resources and also helps to eliminate the risk of human error.

European Sales Director Phil Brown explains: “In many food production settings, as soon as one check is done, it’s time to start over. If you factor in every production stoppage and the labour costs associated with manual testing on each production line, it soon mounts up.”

For example, in one day, a single metal detector system, with a production rate of 50 units per minute, that is manually tested at least five times each day, may cost a manufacturer around £250 a day. Automatic testing significantly reduces the frequency of manual testing. Realistically, it could save a food processor thousands of pounds a month.

“Automatic testing removes the risk of human error and work place injury at critical control points on a manufacturing line while complying with industry standards,” comments Phil. “In particular, Halo is useful in applications where frequent testing of a metal detector is made difficult due to access, machine position, product flow and environmental conditions.”

Payback for a new Fortress metal detector fitted with Halo 2 is typically less than 12 months. Designed to complement manual testing, Halo 2 helps to strengthen food safety compliance and metal detector system security on processing and packing lines