The compact foreign object inspector examines up to 60,000 container per hour.

Emballage - the HEUFT eXaminer XAC as PACK INNOVATION 2010

An international jury of experts has officially honoured the HEUFT eXaminer XAC foreign object inspector as one of "the most innovative new products" amongst those presented at the Emballage 2010 exhibition.

The HEUFT eXaminer XAC has made it.  It is one of the new products which has been awarded the PACK INNOVATION 2010 at the Emballage exhibition.  The foreign object inspector not only caused a sensation at the HEUFT stand but also in the specially set up showroom directly at the entrance of the packaging exhibition recently held in Paris.  According to the organisers of the Emballage it was selected to be presented there on a large screen as a result of "the enormous success which underlines the special quality of your innovative product".  The jury consisting of competent specialised journalists was impressed with the high degree of precision, efficiency and reliability of the X-ray system for the specific detection of foreign objects in containers filled with liquid, paste-like and spreadable products and above all its compact, extremely hygiene-friendly design.

Compact foreign object inspector in accordance with the HEUFT CleanDesign

The sloping machine platform of the HEUFT eXaminer XAC prevents so-called "dirty corners"; it facilitates cleaning and averts the risk as regards the accumulation and persistent settling of contamination.  Channels and openings ensure that the liquid required to clean the device drains away fully.  Specially designed doors make optimum accessibility possible; the device casing and the integrated inspection cabinets are completely hinged.  The electronics of the system are totally encapsulated.  The casing and the inspection cabinets are dust-proof and protected against contact as well as water jets.  Its compact dimensions make it easier to integrate the foreign object inspector into existing lines.

Maximum detection reliability with minimum radiation

This further development is just as excellent as the other devices of the HEUFT eXaminer series as regards performance:  minute foreign objects such as glass splinters, pieces of metal and plastic or bones in the filled container are precisely detected with an unequalled low radiation exposure - the unique, pulsed X-ray technology is only activated when a product is actually in the inspection area and then only for a millisecond.  For example only 36 seconds of radiation is emitted during the base and sidewall inspection of 36,000 containers over a period of one hour.  In other words:  there is no emission whatsoever 99% of the time!  By comparison:  conventional, permanently activated X-ray scanners radiate 3,600 seconds continuously over the same period of time.
Furthermore the radiation dose for each inspected product is on average 100 times less than in the case of the classic line scanner because a short X-ray flash is sufficient in order to cover the total volume of a container completely.  Exposing drink, food or healthcare products to radiation for longer than is necessary, even at low conveyor speeds, is ruled out.  The flashing process prevents motion blurs in the high-speed sector of up to 60,000 packages per hour.  The HEUFT eXaminer XAC does not have to be emptied every time production is at a standstill.  Gaps are not necessary between the individual containers.

The consistent rejection of faulty containers

The HEUFT reflexx high-performance image processing system and the integrated image analysis and filter technologies ensure maximum detection accuracy with a minimum false rejection rate.  Harmless packaging structures or product inhomogeneities are clearly differentiated from dangerous foreign objects.  A specific container tracking through the whole device, which includes a reject verification, guarantees that faulty containers are consistently removed from the production flow.  The system checks its own detection performance at regular, freely configurable intervals using test container programs.
The compact foreign object inspector is supplied in accordance with the HEUFT CleanDesign as a complete solution - including a rejection system and rejection table.  The fact that it impressed the PACK INNOVATION jury and was honoured as one of the most outstanding new products at the Emballage exhibition impressively demonstrates the strengths of the HEUFT development department.