In a world of rapidly-changing technologies, markets and consumer preferences, innovation is vital to the long-term survival of any company, irrespective of its location, size or industry.

As a leading provider of contaminant detection and product integrity inspection equipment, METTLER TOLEDO (uk.mt.com) Safeline X-ray specializes in manufacturing cutting-edge x-ray inspection solutions for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Safeline X-ray invests heavily in research and development (R&D) to design and innovate products and services which provide the best possible inspection solutions.

"As well as looking at current opportunities, we try and anticipate future trends, such as packaging innovations, and look at developing and advancing our x-ray inspection solutions to meet these" says Michael Pipe, product manager, Safeline X-ray.

Recent developments in detector technology from METTLER TOLEDO have allowed for a large reduction in the x-ray generator power, especially for low-density packaging such as plastic trays and pouches for example.

This new detector technology is a new 0.4mm high sensitivity detector which allows the integration of a lower powered (100W) x-ray generator and offers equal or, in many cases, improved detection levels, whilst offering a power reduction of up to 20% under typical operating conditions.

Safeline X-ray's innovations, including new detectors technology and enhanced software algorithms, offer better levels of detection.

"We've recently improved our software both from a capability and a user perspective," says Pipe. "In addition to boosting contamination detection thanks to enhanced inspection algorithms, our latest software comprises five different inspection tools rolled into one, making it easy for operators to set up and use."

The new software lends itself especially to 'difficult' or 'busy' images which contain varied density distribution, and is especially valuable for inspecting multi-textured foods and products that have a tendency to move around inside the packaging, such as boxes of cereal or bags of mixed nuts. In fact, detection sensitivity is unaffected by any type of packaging thus improving false rejection rates. By enabling contaminants to be removed before products leave the factory, our unique software options can help to maximize uptime and aid compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles and global safety regulations.