Fortress engineered 13 incline metal detector systems each featuring a flighted belt , re-purposed metal detector and bidirectional sweep reject to inspect smaller rice packs weighing up to 9 kg .
From soil to steam Harvesting , milling , grading and packing over 60-million rice bushels annually , the US producer is reliant on robust best-in-class metal detection . Upstream , prior to packing , are a number of Fortress Gravity metal detectors located between product shoots and hoppers . Each rapidly inspects between 40,000 and 75,000 cubic feet of free-falling dried long-grain rice hourly , automatically rejecting metal contaminants from the product flow and keeping rice waste to a minimum .
Compact offline lab units are then deployed to quickly examine any rejected product and separate the metal contaminants from the rice . This enables the rice producer to filter out and rework all good product , again helping to minimise waste and identify contaminants for further investigation .
For bulk bags of rice weighing up to 50kg , large bag metal detectors are , for weight and safety reasons , located at floor level . Featuring
The ‘ Holy Grail ’ of any food machinery investment is to maximise Total Cost of Ownership in a sustainable way , without compromising performance and consumer safety .
a large aperture , a special coil structure , and Vector heavy duty conveyor , this market-leading bulk inspection metal detector can guarantee detection of ferrous and non-ferrous metals as small as 1.5mm , and 2.0mm non-magnetic 316 stainless steel contaminants in the aperture centre .
To inspect smaller rice packs weighing up to 9kg , Fortress engineered a special incline conveyor frame to overcome the plants ’ limited floor space . Measuring 4.25 metres in length , packs move up a special flighted conveyor belt at a 45 ° angle .
Designed to handle a fast product rate , a Stealth metal detector with a customised head and aperture ensures performance and detection sensitivity is not forfeited . Having ground level remote access enables staff to safely select the inspection parameters and access data from the metal detector heads if the HMI control panel is beyond reach .
Sustainable and waste reducing Many Fortress engineers contributed to the design . Yet , as testament to the level of detail and collaboration that goes into each and every Fortress commission , company founder and President Steve Gidman couldn ’ t restrain himself from getting involved .
Steve reflects : “ Because the conveyor was inclined and as the product had to be rejected perpendicular to the flow , rubber grips were not advisable as they
Issue 65 PECM 7