New multiscan metal platform detects food contaminants
Thermo Fisher Scientific has launched a new metal detection platform. The Thermo Scientific Sentinel multiscan metal detector can allegedly scan up to five frequencies to help food and consumer goods manufacturers find ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel metal contaminants in products to improve safety for their customers.
The multiscan metal detector also enables users to identify contaminants that are up to 70% smaller in volume than previous technologies, including the Thermo Scientific Apex 500 metal detector.
Bob Ries, lead product manager, product inspection for Thermo Fisher Scientific, says, “The Sentinel metal detector’s multiscan functionality raises the bar for detection capability, flexibility and performance.
“Scanning many frequencies with one detector means that the probability of detection exponentially increases, reducing the risk of costly contamination events that require rework, scrap and recalls. With the Sentinel metal detector, it is like having five separate metal detectors combined, each looking for contaminants at a different frequency.”
The Sentinel metal detector is designed for a wide range of applications, offering improved performance for products such as bread, dairy, meat, poultry, fruit, vegetables, the company says. Inspecting these products for foreign objects is particularly challenging because of the product effect, where the signal from a particular type of metal can be hidden inside the electromagnetic response of the product.
With prior technology, switching the operating frequency could make the hidden metal detectable, but could then make a different type of metal undetectable. Thermo Fisher designed the Sentinel to alleviate this problem by scanning multiple frequencies, increasing the probability of finding all random sizes, shapes and types of embedded metal foreign objects.
Owing to the fact that the Sentinel metal detector has the same footprint and aperture location as the Apex 500 metal detector, users seeking to upgrade to the new platform can do so easily.
The Sentinel metal detector will make its global debut at Pack Expo, Las Vegas, 25-27 September.
