For peak performance, two is better than one

Separation of metal contaminants is essential in food processing environments. Having the right equipment will effectively remove metal contamination from the production flow while minimizing waste of good product. It will also provide brand protection from costly and embarrassing recalls. Two pieces of equipment, working in tandem, are vital to assuring metal is captured and removed from your product flow. Bunting’s HF Series Magnetic Separation Drawers and quickTRON™ 07 RH (Round Housing) are ideal in gravity flow systems.

Magnetic Drawers

The HF Series Drawer is instrumental in capturing ferrous debris. It can be integrated into most processing lines. The reputation of the drawers is sealed by its most important part: the magnetic cartridges. Bunting’s HF Series Drawers come standard with the NUHI™ Neo Ultra High Intensity Cartridges. The drawers are versatile, configured with two or more rows of magnetic cartridges that are staggered to increase contact with the product stream. As material moves in a waterfall pattern, maximum metal capture is achieved. Bunting’s HF Series Drawers are suited for a variety of separation tasks in mechanical and gravity flow applications, and are available in utility, food, and sanitary construction grades.

Bunting’s HF Series Drawers come in four configurations: Manual Standard Cleaning, Self-Cleaning, Pneumatic Self-Cleaning, and Pneumatic Continuous Self-Cleaning. With the Manual Standard HF Drawer, ferrous debris is removed from cartridges by sliding the trays out of the housing and wiping them off by hand. Inside the Manual Self Cleaning HF Drawer, magnetic cartridges are designed to fully extend outside of the housing, cleaning off debris without the additional step of wiping the magnets by hand. As the tube assemblies are pulled outside the housing, grommets wipe the tubes clean and ensure that no tramp metal reenters the housings. In the Pneumatic Self Cleaning HF Drawer, a pneumatically powered cleaning mechanism automatically wipes ferrous contaminants into the discharge area. The Pneumatic Continuous Self-Cleaning HF Drawer utilizes a special drawer design that allows product to continue to flow while magnets are cleaned in an alternating pattern. This eliminates the need for a gate to stop product flow. Each pneumatic option is operated with a remote switch or automated control package. These are ideal for installation in hard-to reach locations or automated operations.

Metal Detection

For peak performance, select a metal detector designed specifically for your application. Bunting’s quickTRON™ 07 RH automatically detects and rejects all ferrous and non-ferrous metals without slowing product flow in free-fall applications. The quickTRON™ 07 RH features a powerline detector coil with layered interference shield. The welded pipe connections of the detection coil ensure no external exposure and prevents external interferences from reaching the internal sensing field. The quickTRON™ 07 RH has product contact surface finishes to meet strict safety regulations and is designed for ease of cleaning. The hygienic open-frame and round reject housing design ensures there is no accumulation of bad product. The pneumatic actuated reject gate is rugged, reliable and fast reacting which can be removed from the rest of the unit for cleaning in a few easy steps without tools. The powerline coil also features our exclusive external test port with easy access for testing. There are also several options for networking and tying the equipment into your operating system.

Critical considerations

Of course, there are many factors you must consider before making such an investment. Here are a few key things that must first be answered for a gravity flow environment.

Product.
What is the product being conveyed? If it’s liquid, what is the viscosity or thickness? It’s really about the resistance to flow, which is why it’s so important to know. For example, water has low viscosity while honey is high viscosity. Knowing the viscosity determines the speed the fluid can be pushed through processing to filter contaminants. If the product is a powder, which is susceptible to stick to surfaces, it can lead to buildup issues or “bridging” inside conveying systems. Any amount of moisture can lead to problems. The system also needs to be airtight to not allow dust to escape. If it’s granular, the size, weight, throughout rate are all considered. No matter the product, maintaining a temperature-controlled environment to prevent bacterial growth is vital.
Installation considerations.
The magnetic separation equipment and metal detector must be integrated into existing lines. The equipment must be easy to use and maintain. For metal separation, the cleaning process must be swift to keep up with processing speeds. Metal detection units with automatic rejection mechanisms are ideal.
Performance requirements.
No matter the product, knowing exactly the type of contamination you are trying to catch must be determined. What types of reject mechanisms are offered and what are the benefits of each? What type of clean-up is needed based on products - self-cleaning or manual cleaning?
Automation options.
Does your operation require manual self-cleaning or prefer pneumatic self-cleaning? There are several control packages and options to automatically clean the units. Which is most ideal for your application? How quickly can it be installed? Will it delay production? Then there are networking options with metal detection that must be determined. Do you need to tie it into your control room to be alerted when a metal event occurs? Maybe you want to be able to pull reports on the detector from an office location? You may even want to have your metal detectors to be tied into your server. There are several options to consider based on what makes the most sense for your operation.

Those are just a few things you need to consider before making an investment in equipment. We recommend you start with the two highlighted products, the HF Series Drawer and quickTRON™ 07 RH metal detector. Both products are easy to install and maintain and are extremely reliable. Two trusted products from Bunting that ensure protection for your product, your equipment, and most importantly your reputation.

See what else Bunting can do for you. For more information visit buntingmagnetics.com.