Three differentials food factories should consider
The global metal detector market is buoyant and expected to reach an estimated $1.6 billion by 2022. Forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2017 to 2022, continued investment can be attributed to stringent government and consumer protection regulations. The industrial segment, comprising the food and pharmaceutical sectors, is expected to remain the largest end user of metal detectors.
Given that investment in inspection systems by food factories looks set to continue, Phil Brown, MD of Fortress Technology Europe tackles the equipment options in the most widespread food and packaging application scenarios, cutting through the confusion on the pros and pitfalls of metal detectors versus x-ray.
Choosing the best food inspection technology is not always straightforward. Some users gravitate towards x-ray systems perceiving them to be more versatile. It’s true that they have the ability to carry out further product inspection functions that are beyond the scope of metal detectors, such as spotting missing or broken products or checking the fill level. However, users need to be sure that any technical advantage will actually add value, since the pros and cons of metal detection versus x-ray can make it difficult to gauge which technology is the most effective and cost-optimised solution in practice.
