Baking & Snack - March 2022 - 90

SLICED BREAD PACKAGING
rejected from the line
even though metal was
detected. When possible,
the sensors can be wired
for self-monitoring so that
a failure of the sensor triggers
a fault to warn operators
of a potential problem. "
Devices that remove products that have
been flagged by a metal detector must be kept
in tip-top shape.
" Utilizing correct reject devices that can operate
Proper setup
ensures vital
equipment like
slicers keep lines
running.
Formost Fuji
With ongoing supply chain problems, bakeries should
keep vital spare parts for each piece of equipment
on hand.
" We know what the wear parts are on that machine,
and we provide that information to our customers, "
Mr. Cardey said. " They can order those parts and have
them in inventory. So as they're doing their preventative
maintenance, they can just go to their parts room, get
that part, replace it and keep everything moving. "
Kwik Lok needs 4 inches of neck on the bag to properly
gather and close it. The company offers many varieties
of closure sizes. It also has traditional and greener
Eco-Loks, which are made with a bio-based starch polymer
that will break down in a few years vs. the traditional
product that takes hundreds of years.
" We have a variety of more sustainable Lok options for
customers in different parts of the world, " Mr. Cardey said.
" The one overriding thing on our end is no matter what we
come out with from a material standpoint, it has to function
in the machines. We already have tens of thousands in
the field, so the functionality has to be there. "
Keeping products safe
Metal detectors sit at the end of bread lines, ensuring
that products are safe for consumers before they leave
bakeries. They are critical for success.
" Most high-speed bread lines operate on very thin
profit margins, so maximizing throughput is extremely
important. This relates directly to metal detector uptime, "
said Jordan Davis, product line manager, metal
detection at Mettler-Toledo.
A few key elements ensure optimal efficiency. Todd
Grube, product manager, inspection systems, Heat and
Control, said that metal detectors require little maintenance
besides regular checks to verify detection.
" Sensors and rejectors should be checked for proper operation,
and compressed air systems should be kept clean,
free of moisture and supplied with adequate pressure and
volume, " he said. " Also, inoperable sensors or faulty pneumatic
systems can result in contaminated product not being
90 Baking & Snack March 2022 / www.bakingbusiness.com
at sufficient speed ensures they only affect the contaminated
products to be rejected, and maintaining
reject devices ensures that they are able to operate as
specified, " said Eric Garr, regional sales manager for
Fortress Technology.
Rejection systems include air blasts, which are fast
and efficient, although they do not work well with heavy
products.
For more weighty items, retracting conveyors or belts
can be used to efficiently reject non-conforming products.
" That product will fall in and as it closes, there's little
risk of anything hanging up in it because you generally
make them close as fast as the belt's running or slightly
faster so that other products don't try to jump down into
the reject bin as it's closing, " Mr. Garr said.
Products that are not inspected cannot leave the bakery,
so redundancy is key to avoiding downtime and ensuring
there is always a food safety check in place.
" That redundancy allows that in the event of any issues
with the equipment you have that backup, " Mr.
Garr said.
Keeping workers well-trained and preventing unauthorized
users from tampering with settings will ensure
that things run safely, Mr. Davis said. The wrong settings
cause problems that can escalate.
" This can cause false reject nightmares which clearly
would affect the throughput of the line, " he explained.
" Metal detectors deployed should have different function
password access, and the passwords need to be customized
for each person. "
Because every loaf of bread is a little different, such as air
pockets or variations in bread mixes, auto-calibration can
help by tracking these changes.
" The auto calibration feature continually learns these
small trending changes to the product and will slowly adjust
to that so that you don't end up seeing false rejects, " Mr.
Garr said.
Inspecting and maintaining critical equipment in high
throughput bread packaging operations and keeping workers
trained on how to operate and troubleshoot problems
can keep systems running optimally.
*
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Baking & Snack - March 2022

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