Pastilles pass the test

All clear from x-ray inspection system

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THE main challenge in inspecting the pastilles, which consist mainly of gum Arabic and sugar or sugar substitutes, is their density and the fact that pieces often aggregate in the pack. To provide maximum quality control in the packing of pastilles into bags, with the line running at up to 90 bags per minute, older measures such as sieving of the powder and visual inspection of both products could not be relied on, leading Swiss confectionery firm F. Hunziker & Co. AG to install the Ishida IX-EA-2161X X-ray system at its factory in Dietikon, near Zurich. Typical production anomalies and contaminants that the Ishida -ray system has to monitor include the occasional small fragment of paper or plastic that could enter the pastilles via the sugar supply. Nevertheless, the ability of the IX-EA to pick up tiny amounts of metal, glass, stone and rubber adds an extra level of product safety. "It detects contaminants or agglomerated product very reliably. The size of the smallest contaminant detected to date was just 0.5mm, this is despite the use of aluminised bags on this line," comments factory manager Reto Reinli. Simply passing product through the machine automatically optimises inspection settings. Up to 100 product presets are available, and the operator can change from one to another without interrupting the existing production run. Triple lead-filled plastic curtains ensure that no measurable amount of radiation can escape from the machine. If the access door is opened or a hand is inserted into the interior, the system shuts down automatically. "The high safety standard has had a positive influence on certification audits and has resulted in very high marks for contaminant detection. In the future, even on lines without metallised packaging, we will invest exclusively in X-ray detection technology," Mr Reinli concludes.(the end)Nike