Plan Automation Technology Blog

Eagle PI Weighs in on the Future of Food Industry X-Ray Inspection

Posted by Mat Bedard on Thu, Jun 9, 2016 @ 10:06 AM

Eagle PI X-Ray SystemA lot of companies in the food industry have to keep a careful eye on the horizon. With the constant introduction of new regulations, standards, and technologies, it’s easy to see why any packaged food company would be concerned about the future.

What’s in store for x-ray product inspection in the food industry? A while back, Simon King, the Head of Sales for Eagle PI, tackled this very question in an informative blog on the Eagle PI website. In the blog, Simon talked about the need for x-ray inspection, the common concerns of manufacturers looking for x-ray machines, and some future projections for x-ray technology, among other topics.

Today, we thought it would be a good idea to weigh in on this topic and discuss the future of x-ray technology for product inspection as well.

So, where will the future of food industry x-ray inspection take us? Short of having a crystal ball, we won’t be able to say for sure, but here are a few educated guesses based on what we know about x-ray inspection technology and market trends:

1) X-Ray Systems Will Get Faster

As Simon noted in his blog, “manufacturers simply cannot afford to have their lines slowed down by their quality control technologies.” All the time, Plan Automation sees x-ray manufacturing companies working to create faster x-ray machines that can be plugged into a manufacturer’s production line without creating a chokepoint.

It’s almost guaranteed that speed of x-ray analysis will continue to be a focus for x-ray product inspection machine manufacturers going forward. Some systems, such as the DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray) machines are even capable of continuous analysis of loose-flow products, a feat that was once unthinkable of older x-ray inspection machines.

The faster that an x-ray machine can complete a check of a product, the more product it can scan per day. This means more completed packages clearing your QA process and being safely shipped to consumers each day.

2) Sensitivity of X-Ray Systems May Increase Even Further

The introduction of MDX (Material Discrimination X-ray) technology was a game-changer for x-ray product inspection.

With MDX, x-ray inspection machines were suddenly able to detect contaminants not just based on object density (denser objects absorb more x-rays), but by their atomic makeup. This allowed x-ray inspection machines to suddenly detect contaminants that were previously undetectable by x-ray, such as glass shards.

As revolutionary as this technology is, there is still room for improvement. X-ray machines can still have difficulty with very small contaminants that are “head-on” to the x-ray’s receiving plate.

To counter this, and make sure that x-ray machines can catch smaller contaminants, x-ray inspection machine manufacturers are likely to develop new x-ray machine configurations that scan products from multiple angles or are able to spot smaller contaminants. By upping the sensitivity of product inspection machines, manufacturers will be able to detect an even wider variety of contaminants than they can now!

3) More X-Ray Machines Will Take Advantage of IoT-Enabling Capabilities

The Internet of Things, or IoT for short, represents a far-reaching change in the way that companies use technology for business. Every day, more devices are hooked up to the online networks of businesses around the globe.

With IoT integration, machines are capable of sending automated reports to key personnel via the internet. For example, an x-ray product inspection machine could be set up to send a copy of a rejection report to a quality assurance manager each time a product rejection is triggered.

The Internet of Things can give you around-the-clock statistics monitoring access, even when you’re offsite. This can greatly increase your responsiveness to changing situations when you’re away from the plant.

4) X-Ray Product Inspection Will Continue to be a Key Product Inspection Technology

X-ray inspection is currently one of the most effective and robust product inspection technologies on the market. X-ray inspection machines are able to detect an enormous variety of contaminants that metal detectors and visual inspections would miss.

As x-ray inspection machines continue to grow in speed, sensitivity, and ease of integration with business processes, it’s almost certain that they’ll continue to be a major part of the quality assurance process for food manufacturers around the globe.

Learn which type of x-ray machine is best for your production needs by consulting a product inspection specialist today!

Special thanks to Simon King and Eagle PI for their informative blog!

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Topics: Food Inspection