Accidental equipment and product contamination aren’t uncommon within food, beverage and pharmaceutical production industries. There are always risks present, whether through employee mistakes or even your own line equipment, which can put your goods and brand in danger.

To face these quality risks, many production operations integrate innovative x-ray inspection or metal detection systems along their lines, which are capable of reliably identifying contaminants and miscellaneous foreign objects. However, these tools, themselves, can be the cause of additional contamination. The many small component parts they use (in addition to day-to-day tools such as pens, cables and IDs) can sometimes find their way into your products, and compromise product safety.

A Second Line of Defense

In these cases, where detection systems alone cannot guarantee product safety and small, component parts pose a risk to products, many companies choose to integrate fully detectable components. These components are essentially x-ray/metal detectable replacements for existing mechanical parts, and small equipment along your production line; this includes everything from gaskets and machine tubing to pens and whiteboard markers.

If you have had problems in the past with any of the following finding their way into your production line and ruining your products, fully detectable rubber, silicone and steel components can be used to eliminate most of these risks:

• O-rings and O-ring cords
• Steam traps
• Plate gaskets
• Rods and cords
• Scrapers
• Stationery
• Knives and other hand tools
• Tags, labels and IDs
• Protective gear
• Bearings
• Hoses and cord

Detectable, replacement components such as these can help production companies in any industry ensure their product safety, and ultimately protect their brand, to much greater extent. Equipment contamination is a universal challenge in industries that use mechanical systems with small, non-detectable components regularly.

Detectable components serve to limit the risks of equipment contamination at all points of production, whether your company deals with dry goods, liquid products, meats, pharmaceuticals or even pre-packaged/processed materials.

Specialization for Your Unique Industry Needs

Detectable components provide a great deal of their value in optimizing product safety; however, what sets these component parts apart from other quality assurance practices is their versatility between industries. No matter what detection systems you current employ in your facility, or what tools your employees use to ensure safe and efficient production, fully detectable components can be custom made to your production’s exact parameters.

Customizable components can be specifically crafted to fit your production needs, whether by size, inspection color or compatibility with various product safety systems. In the creation of customized detectable components, food safe metal strips or x-ray detectable components are added to otherwise conventional materials, particularly those that often “fly under the radar” during product inspection.

By equipping standard equipment and production components with fully detectable strips, or even creating new components with entirely detectable plastic or silicone compositions, creators of detectable components make it easy for major product manufacturers to assure the quality of their goods.

Detectable components like these can be form-fitted to specific size requirements and system parameters of equipment along your production line. With components like these, you can reap all the benefits of incorporating fully detectable tools throughout your facility without having to replace existing inspection tools, or everyday production tools. By swapping out non-detectable mechanical parts with their custom made, fully detectable counterparts, you can largely eliminate equipment contamination risk and improve quality assurance with ease.

Detectable Parts Work to Protect Your Brand

When it comes to improving overall safety in various production industries, and preserving your brand in consumer eyes, equipping your facilities with inspection and detection systems is only one part of the process. Even with detection systems installed along your production lines, small, mechanical components and employee tools can find their way into your goods, and go on undetected until later in production, such as during packaging.

When non-food safe contaminants go undetected until this late in production, it means expensive product loss for your business, or even worse, devastating recalls post-distribution. Careful inspection practices and detection systems can help limit these risks, but there is always a chance that equipment contaminants can slip in unnoticed.

To lower these risks, equipping your facilities with fully detectable, food safe components is one of the most beneficial safety steps you can take. What makes these components even more valuable is their customizability, and compatibility with various, specific detection systems and industry needs. Don’t miss out on what safety and quality assurance benefits detectable components can bring to your business.