Metal Detector Validation Services

Metal detectors are required equipment in many industries, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and tobacco to ensure product safety and regulatory compliance. American Scale is pleased to offer metal detection validation services. This includes virtual metal detector validations allowing for cost effective, fast, and accurate testing. We can validate all brands and models of metal detectors including Mettler Toledo Safeline, CEIA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Fortress, Bunting, Loma, TD Packsys, etc.

Virtual validation

Metal detector validation is an essential task for you to complete in order to make sure your equipment is functioning correctly. Third party validations help you maintain compliance with food safety programs as well as with other regulations including Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) requirements, etc. Most importantly, validation checks that specific types of metal contaminants are accurately detected and contaminated products are properly rejected.

At American Scale, we offer virtual validations to help you maintain compliance and to keep your equipment operating properly. As a result of COVID, we had to get creative on how to best serve our customers and where to meet with them. We found many of you already testing your metal detection equipment daily and simply requiring a 3rd party verification into order to remain compliant with your quality management system. We are able to help without compromising quality. Our virtual verification is just that, a virtual assessment of the equipment done via video teleconference with plant personnel or and/or impartial witnesses.

We think it is important to note that validations don’t solve everything. Firstly, you should be doing routine performance monitoring on your metal detector daily (or many times daily) to verify that the machine is actually working. You can also consider getting your metal detector calibrated if performance is off. Calibration requires parts, electrical test equipment, and deep technical expertise.

The table below helps explain certain processes and articulates details on a verification:

Metal Dectector Chart.png

How to test the metal detector:

Testing / verifying the metal detector is accomplished by challenging the detector in a repeatable manner with a NIST certified metal sphere (aka standard) at a pre-described time.  This procedure should be executed at the same time on a daily basis (or when required).

To test properly, the procedure almost always requires the NIST certified sphere to be placed on or in the product. Products and packaging may impact the detectability of certain metals, especially stainless steel and simply putting the standard on the conveyor may provide false confidence in the machine.

Key testing considerations include:
- Are the test pieces are the optimum size
- Are the test pieces placed in the right place – on or in the product?

Steps to virtual verification:

1. Provide us with your equipment list including:

  • Metal detector make

  • Model

  • Current test standards

  • Overall environment and condition of the machine

2. If necessary, we will ship you NIST traceable standards for the verification

3. Coordinate with plant and/or quality management teams to schedule a virtual verification

4. Perform virtual verification à we watch and record the verification

5. We provide you with a virtual verification certificate with NIST traceable standards

6. We maintain your records

Call or contact us today to schedule your virtual verification.