VNK, one of the Netherlands' leading producers of dried herbs, has installed a Lock metal detection system on its production lines in a bid to upgrade its quality and testing programme.
After a careful selection process, the company chose Lock Inspection Systems to design and install its MET 30+ range of metal detectors according to its requirements.
Lock installed detectors at several points along the manufacturer's production lines at its Elburg plant. Four MET 30+ horizontal bulk detectors were introduced at the beginning of each production line to inspect the incoming product and protect later processing machinery. Lock's heavy duty conveyor system was installed to transport the product along the production line and through the metal detectors. With product weights of up to 50 kg, a robustly constructed conveyor was essential. Lock's heavy-duty system, which is able to support weights of up to 100 kg, provided the solution.
The horizontal detectors were supplemented at the end of the production lines with four MET 30+ Vertical Fall systems. These are specifically tailored to inspect free-falling product in whole, cut or powdered form. High throughput rates, coupled with increased sensitivity, also ensure that the production process retains maximum efficiency, Lock claims.
Furthermore the problem of space was overcome by the compact footprint of the equipment which is specifically designed to fit into the confined spaces often encountered on production lines.
The MET 30+ detectors are able to operate at high frequencies to detect even the tiniest fragments of metal, especially stainless steel and swarf - two of the most difficult types of metal to find, but the most likely forms of contaminant in the food industry.
G. Land, VNK production and operation manager, commented: "We chose Lock to install its inspection equipment because they took the time and trouble to prove the effectiveness of the equipment by running extensive trials on the line. The compact design of the machines overcame space problems on the production line and the price/quality ratio of Lock's equipment was excellent."
Based in the UK, Lock Inspection Systems supplies metal detection and check weighing equipment to food manufacturers on a global basis.