Innovative Metal Detection Enhances Safety in Dairy Processing

Fortress Technology, a company specializing in food safety, has introduced advanced solutions to tackle the issue of product effect in dairy metal detection. This phenomenon occurs due to the conductive nature of dairy products, which can interfere with detection signals and reduce sensitivity. A solid block of cheese, for instance, interacts differently with a metal detector's magnetic field compared to grated or soft cheese.

To counteract product effect, one method is to reduce the aperture size relative to the product size, thereby increasing the detector's sensitivity and minimizing errors. In addition, features like single pass product learning and automatic calibration are beneficial in improving detection accuracy.

Single frequency metal detectors used with 'wet' products often face a trade-off between detecting ferrous and stainless-steel contaminants, depending on the frequency selected. Typically, higher frequencies improve the detection of stainless-steel over ferrous metals. The optimal approach involves selecting a frequency that balances minimal product effect with effective detection of target contaminants.

Fortress Technology's Interceptor software utilizes algorithms capable of adapting to these changing characteristics, distinguishing between product-specific indicators and genuine anomalies. Another tool, AutoPhase, helps mitigate product effect. For larger cheese blocks weighing up to 20kg, the product signature may shift as the block moves through the detector aperture, a challenge addressed by the M-phase algorithm specifically designed for such conditions.

Vepo Cheese has implemented seven identical incline Interceptor metal detectors on their grated cheese production lines to combat product effect. These detectors are equipped with data reporting capabilities to enhance traceability in the production process.