Editing Metal detector (section)

=== Industrial metal detectors ===
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://extremedetector.com |title= Industrial metal detectors |access-date=22 October 2023}}</ref> 

Contamination of food by metal shards from broken processing machinery during the manufacturing process is a major safety issue in the food industry. Most food processing equipment is made of [[stainless steel]], and other components made of plastic or elastomers can be manufactured with embedded metallic particles, allowing them to be detected as well. Metal detectors for this purpose are widely used and integrated into the production line.

Current practice at garment or apparel industry plants is to apply metal detecting after the garments are completely sewn and before garments are packed to check whether there is any metal contamination (needle, broken needle, etc.) in the garments. This needs to be done for safety reasons.

The industrial metal detector was developed by Bruce Kerr and David Hiscock in 1947. The founding company Goring Kerr<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Goring Kerr |url=https://goring-kerr.com/about-us |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023140957/http://industrial-machinery-news.com/history-of-goring-kerr/ |archive-date=23 October 2016 |access-date=27 February 2024 |website=Goring Kerr|date=27 May 2012 }}</ref>
pioneered the use and development of the first industrial metal detector. [[Mars Incorporated]] was one of the first customers of Goring Kerr using their Metlokate metal detector to inspect [[Mars bar]]s.

The basic principle of operation for the common industrial metal detector is based on a 3-coil design. This design utilizes an AM ([[amplitude modulated]]) transmitting coil and two receiving coils one on either side of the [[transmitter]]. The design and physical configuration of the receiving coils are instrumental in the ability to detect very small metal contaminates of 1&nbsp;mm or smaller. Today modern metal detectors continue to utilize this configuration for the detection of tramp metal.

The coil configuration is such that it creates an opening whereby the product (food, plastics, pharmaceuticals, etc.) passes through the coils. This opening or aperture allows the product to enter and exit through the three-coil system, producing an equal but mirrored signal on the two receiving coils. The resulting signals are summed together effectively nullifying each other. Fortress Technology innovated a new feature, that allows the coil structure of their BSH Model to ignore the effects of vibration,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2007/169/|title=Detecting Foreign Matter|first=Mike|last=Pehanich|work=foodprocessing.com|date=16 July 2007}}</ref> even when inspecting conductive products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fortresstechnology.com/company/|title=Company &#124; Fortress Technology|date=10 November 2016 }}</ref>

When a metal contaminant is introduced into the product an unequal disturbance is created. That creates a very small electronic signal. After suitable amplification a mechanical device mounted to the [[conveyor]] system is signaled to remove the contaminated product from the production line. This process is completely automated and allows manufacturing to operate uninterrupted.