Plan Automation Technology Blog

The Benefits of X-ray Product Inspection Technology

Posted by Mat Bedard on Tue, Feb 18, 2014 @ 08:02 AM

X Ray Inspection Technology - PLAN AutomationThe use of X-ray technologies in the safety and quality inspections of food products has irrefutable beneficial effects for companies, products and their customers. Simplifying the inspection process with incredibly accurate and quick results, the process of X-ray inspection captures both minor product flaws and severe imperfections, defects that can tarnish the integrity and public opinion of your company.

X-ray inspection technology is considered one of the strongest inspection techniques on the market due to its thorough nature and sensitivity to alterations or blemishes of products. The analytic strength of X-ray inspection machines lends itself to the preservation of the food industry’s biggest ideals: quality and safety. Striving for perfection in these ideals is the surest way for a company to cement and improve their consumer base and success.

In the coming sections, we will highlight the strengths and benefits of integrating X-ray technologies with your company’s quality inspection process.

Incredible Inspection Capability

The strongest and most notable ability of X-ray inspection technology, such as EAGLE PI X-ray Systems, is the technology’s flawless eye for detail, used to capture and scan all details of a food product, from foreign bodies and check-weighing to imperfect packaging seals. Even the smallest of foreign bodies cannot escape the X-ray scans of this modern improvement on the human eye (inspection down to 0.2mm for metals).

End-of-line X-ray inspection can be the greatest factor in preserving your company’s name, product and brand, even capturing imperfections in sealed products, such as:

  • Inspection and detection of foreign bodies such as: Metal, glass, stones, bones, etc.
  • Fill levels of yogurts, juices and bottles
  • Missing inserts, promotional material, lids or instructional components
  • Quality of boxed content and inner packaging
  • Missing or imperfect products in sealed containers
  • Mass measurements, to detect unfilled or contaminated units
  • Hollow pockets or air bubbles in meats and cheeses
  • Incorrect mix of products or product weight 

Accessibility and Ease of Use

What makes X-ray inspection machines such an integral part of many businesses in food production is the technology’s easy-to-use mechanics and simplicity behind the technology. X-ray machines are capable of integration at any time of the production process, and can be added to the line production of any raw, pumped, line and packaged products.

X-ray inspection machines can match, and even exceed most production line speeds, seamlessly fitting in to any production. Some X-Ray inspection machines can record and scan food products at rates as high as sixty meters per minute and 2000 containers per minutes. In seconds, the technology scans products for a vast majority of common imperfections, defects or alterations, and can store this information automatically in a digital database with applicable software.

Security of Products and Company Image

With their ability to identify the majority of common defects in products, packaged or non-packaged, X-ray inspection technologies provide a failsafe for recognizing any number of product flaws. This keen line of defense against product imperfections is an invaluable asset in building and improving upon your company’s image and brand; X-ray inspection technologies can scan and capture what the human eye or conventional cameras cannot, so your company can consistently produce quality goods.

The reliability of X-ray technology in quality and safety inspections, combined with the strengths of its scans, make a X-ray inspection of your product line one of the simplest ways to protect your brand from recalls and customer complaints. In an industry based largely on quality food and brand reputation, seeking to provide the utmost excellent products seems a necessary component in the success of one’s company.

Conserve Your Company’s Time and Money

Implementing X-ray technology to your existing safety and quality programs can also save your company’s crucial financial and labor assets. Human inspection of products is expensive and occupies a considerable amount of labor and company time. Additionally, it is an imperfect method, even when approached with specially trained eyes.

By integrating X-ray inspection technology along the production line, critical time and labor expenditures are saved in a company’s quality assurance process. X-ray technologies pay for themselves after only short periods in the inspection operation, while also presenting sufficiently more precise results about your product.

This allows for companies to spend less time and money assuring the safety of a product, and protecting their brand name, and more on additional ventures to improve their business. The strain is lessened on equipment requirements and your labor force, allowing for increased productivity.

Learn More about X Ray Inspection Technology

To learn more about what X-ray inspection technology can do for your business, please download our whitepaper, “X-Ray, More Than Just Foreign Body Detection,” or contact us directly.

X-ray, More Than Just Foreign Body Detection - Plan Automation

Topics: X-Ray Inspection, Product Inspection