In a space-saving product inspection innovation, Fortress Technology has custom-engineered a unique twin-aperture Stealth metal detector and dual-lane Raptor 200 checkweigher for a dairy company.

Receiving shredded cheese pouches directly from a dual-head bagger, the bold design unlocks substantial space and cost savings for the busy North American dairy plant. 

The twin-lane conveyor configuration offers a customized solution by consolidating a single metal detector that is uniquely divided into two smaller, dedicated apertures that act as independent metal detectors. For optimal metal detection sensitivity, the two compact apertures—measuring 102 mm (4 in.) in height by 254 mm (10 in.) wide—means that the packs pass individually right through the center point of the metal detector. 

It also features two independent weight verification Raptor checkweighers for optimized quality control. Each technology and lane has its own air blast reject mechanism to isolate metal contaminants and weight rejects. The rejects are removed into lockable reject bins equipped with reject confirmation and bin full sensors.

As each lane is programmed to run independently, the bespoke design helps minimize interruption to the packing process during product switchovers or if one lane stops working or requires maintenance. Additionally, the unique design gives the plant extra inspection and weight verification capacity, as two different product lines, pack sizes or SKUs can be run simultaneously adjacent to each other. 

Constructed to the highest food-grade standards, the modular 200-mm wide conveyor assembly, conveyor decks, and belts are all designed to be easily removed from the machine, without the use of tools, for rapid deep sanitation and maintenance. Operatives simply unclip and disconnect the conveyor motor. In just seconds, the conveyor belt is removed, and the belt tension and tracking is instantly restored when clipped back into place. 

To ensure absolute traceability and compliance with retailer Codes of Practice and QA protocols, both the metal detector and Raptor checkweigher capture easy-to-read live OEE data. 

Equipped with Contact Reporter software, the dairy plant has the facility to export and convert time-stamped production data from the dual-aperture metal detector and integrate into readable formats aligned to its existing quality control reporting system. Fortress also offers the option to connect the checkweigher to its Contact 4.0 connectivity software. Auditor-friendly data reports are exported as either PDF or Excel files covering a specific production line and/or time period.

Fortress Technology | www.fortresstechnology.com