Plan Automation Technology Blog

Can X-Ray Inspection Work on Metalized Film Packaging?

Posted by Mat Bedard on Tue, Jun 7, 2016 @ 10:06 AM

Metalized Film PackagingThere are many different kinds of product packaging used by modern food manufacturers. Packaging types such as Styrofoam, plastic, cardboard, and metal all present different challenges for product inspection.

Recently, metalized film packaging has gained popularity for the snack foods industry for its durability as well as its moisture, oxygen, and UV light-blocking capabilities. These traits help metalized film keep food fresh for longer than clear plastic films.

However, metalized film poses a major problem for companies that rely on metal detectors for product inspection; the metal in the film actively interferes with the system’s ability to detect contaminants.

If metal detection isn’t right for metalized film inspection, could x-ray product inspection work instead?

Why X-Ray Inspection Works for Metalized Film

X-ray inspection machines rely on the density of materials that reflect or absorb x-rays to create a grayscale snapshot of inspected products. Because of this one fact, metalized film poses no more of a challenge to x-ray machines than cardboard or plastic film packaging.

Material Discrimination X-Ray (MDX) and Dual Energy X-Ray (DEXA) systems offer even better detection capabilities than traditional x-ray systems. These systems can examine the chemical makeup of a packages contents, allowing for detailed inspection of products with complicated or irregular textures.

Advantages of X-Ray Inspection for Metalized Film

Aside from being able to inspect metalized film packages without losing scanning accuracy, using x-ray inspection for your production line QA has a number of other benefits, including:

  • Mass Measurement. X-ray inspection systems can check the mass of a product package while checking for contaminants, saving time and money on using separate check-weighers.
  • Level Fill Inspection / Cap Detection. In addition to check-weighing, X-ray inspection systems can also verify the fill level inside of any packages. It can also inspect for missing or crooked caps.
  • Seal Inspection. The grayscale images captured by x-ray machines can reveal more than just contaminants. X-ray inspection can verify the seal status of your packages against a prerecorded standard, instantly revealing packages with broken seals.
  • Missing Component Checks. If your product package is supposed to have straws, spoons, toys, or other add-ins, x-ray inspection can check for them and reveal when they’re missing.
  • Broader Range of Detectable Contaminants. Whereas metal detectors are limited to detecting metallic objects or materials that can conduct electricity, x-ray inspection can check for a variety of materials based on their density or chemical structure. This includes metals, bone fragments, dense rubber, plastics, and stones.

Using x-ray inspection for metalized food packaging is a must to ensure product safety and quality. Keep your food and your customers safe with high-quality product inspection equipment.

Guide to Metal Detection in Food Manufacturing Industy

Topics: Metal Detection