A New Angle to Detecting Contaminants in Fluids

Mettler Toledo Safeline has made a significant breakthrough in the detection of contaminants in fluids with the launch of the new FluidCheK x-ray inspection system. Developed primarily to meet the needs of manufacturers and packers of beverages and other liquids, this efficient system is equipped with advanced image-scanning software and employs x-ray beams at an angle for total quality control.

The new FluidCheK FluidCheK X-ray Inspection Systemsx-ray system ensures accurate detection of dense contaminants including glass, metal, stone, plastics, such as Teflon, and rubbers, such as Viton. It is specially designed to inspect glass bottles and jars, metal cans and plastic bottles, and is especially effective on containers with a domed base.

The FluidCheK x-ray inspection system takes a fresh approach to the detection of contaminants in liquids; it focuses inspection on the base area rather than on the entire container. This approach is highly effective because contaminants are usually denser than the surrounding liquid, so they will always sink to the bottom of a container.

The advantage of concentrating inspection only on the base of a container is that the x-ray generator can be moved much closer to the product, reducing the distance the x-ray beam must travel to the detector. This increases the quality of the x-ray image and improves thFluidCheK X-ray Inspection Systeme sensitivity and probability of detection, resulting in outstanding product safety. Additionally, the x-ray beam inspects the container base at an angle to prevent blind spots and hidden areas for unsurpassed contamination detection.

The FluidCheK uses Safeline’s patented x-ray transparent slat band modular belt. The belt’s design and the low x-ray attenuation properties of its materials allow for excellent transport properties with no loss in detection sensitivity. It is ideal for high-speed glass container and can lines, offering smaller gaps for smoother transfers, easier integration with existing modular conveyors and easier rejection or diversion of defect packs. If glass breakages occur on the line, the belt can be easily removed in minutes for cleaning or maintenance.

An important feature of the FluidCheK is that it performs a completely “non-contact inspection”. This means that the products are not touched at anytime as they pass through the machine to prevent product handling issues and damaged pack labels.