Industry

Confectionery

SNB Electronic Services have provided service and calibration for over 20 years to confectionery sites across the UK

Confectionery is wide ranging and choices of Inspection Equipment are commonly determined by packaging material, size and line rates.

Foil and metallised films affect the performance of Metal Detection Equipment and require specialised advice before use. Typical examples of confectionery packaging include but are not limited to; flow wrapped films - both poly and metallised, plastic or glass Jars, cardboard containers, pillow pack pouches, paper and foil wrap tubes.

Inspection Equipment is found throughout production lines in the confectionery industry. From inspecting expensive raw ingredients at the start of a production line through to bulk detection of loose sweets after initial processing, and end of line detection after packaging is completed. It is important to consider your production process and where best to place in-line or end of line Inspection Equipment.

Please contact the SNB Sales Team if you require advice on your specific requirements.

The following types of Inspection Equipment are common place in the confectionery industry;

In-line Metal Detector/ Metal Detector Conveyor System

These systems are typically found near the end of the production process prior to Checkweighing and final outer packaging.

End of Line Bulk Metal Detector

Bulk Metal Detection Systems are commonly placed after the product has been wrapped and the aperture is usually much larger in size. They can also be found on lines supplying bulk product for further processing elsewhere. Lower levels of detection are normally associated to this type of detector due to the larger apertures.

Ferrous In Foil (FIF) Metal Detectors

This type of Metal Detector is only used when products are processed or packaged with Aluminium Foil - such as some Quality Street. Detection of Ferrous or magnetic metals is all that is possible with this type of Metal Detector. Common grades of Stainless Steel and non-Ferrous metals are not detectable.

Freefall Gravity Metal Detection

Inspection Equipment for use directly underneath multi-head weighers is commonly seen in the confectionery industry. These slim search heads often have to work within tight inaccessible confinements. Good quality Metal Detection Equipment is critical here as performance can vary dramatically between brands. Due to space restrictions rejection methods are normally limited to double bag and bagger-stop.

In-line Checkweigher Systems

As a standalone system, Checkweighers are normally placed after Metal Detectors. Checkweighing is carried out after all processing and packaging is complete. This gives the Checkweigher the ability to calculate accurate totals for batch and shift weights, whilst monitoring that each and every pack falls within the declared weights and tolerances. SNB recommend the use of individual Metal Detection and Checkweigher Systems wherever possible to reduce the risk of production downtime.

Metal Detector Combination Systems

A popular choice for these industries is to combine the Metal Detection and Checkweighing requirements into a single frame, housing both pieces of equipment. Although this nearly always reduces the space required it carries added risk. Should the Checkweigher suffer a failure, production cannot continue under the temporary acceptance of manual weight checks because the Metal Detector is also taken out of operation. Production would either need to cease until the Combination System can be restarted or stockpiled for future Metal Detection prior to dispatch. Both of these outcomes normally carry high cost implications for businesses.

Inspection Equipment for Confectionery Industry

At SNB, we understand it is imperative for confectionery businesses to keep production lines running at optimum performance. That’s why SNB ae always on hand to offer customers:

Service/Breakdown Calls – Just give us a call on 01977 689555 and we can arrange for an engineer to attend site
Calibrations – our engineers are trained on the latest brands within metal detection. Engineers can conduct site calibrations and afterwards certificates will be sent across
SME Training – SNB can deliver classroom led training either at your site or at our Head Office in Sherburn In Elmet. The ‘Subject Matter Expert’ training in metal detection can be delivered to Tier C and Tier D
Refurbished Rentals – SNB house refurbished metal detectors, checkweighers and combination systems for customers to rent all year round.