In order to achieve the highest level of detection sensitivity, Ishida is introducing a top-of-the-line X-ray inspection system that makes use of modern sensor and image processing technologies. The Ishida IX-PD allows producers to maintain high productivity rates while identifying low-density and very minute foreign bodies with great accuracy.
The new device creates an ultra-high resolution and sharper image than conventional X-ray systems when combined with Ishida’s already established Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Dual Energy technologies. Because of this, the Ishida IX-PD can provide improved identification for low-density materials like fish fillet bones and tiny foreign objects like stainless steel wires. In cases where products are overlapping or standing up in a pack, the new model may also successfully detect foreign bodies.
For example, the IX-PD achieved an increase from 40% to 100% compared to conventional X-ray technologies for the detection of bone in chicken breast fillets. In tests, the IX-PD revealed near 100% detection rates for bones in a variety of goods including chicken, diced meat, and sausages. The IX-performance PD’s increase was created for high-volume manufacturing lines and environments where food products are frequently overlapped, making it challenging to identify tiny impurities.
The IX-improved PD’s detection skills minimize the need for manual inspections even more, and the machine’s capacity to distinguish accurately between food and foreign objects lowers the rate of detection errors. Companies are able to maintain strict quality control methods in this way without sacrificing throughput rates.
“We understand the importance that businesses today place on quality and the rigorous standards that they employ throughout their operations; however, even the smallest error can have serious consequences for a company’s or brand’s image, particularly in today’s social media world,” explained Sibtain Naqvi, Ishida Europe’s X-ray product manager. “This was the driving force behind the development of our new IX-PD, which represents a real step-change in X-ray inspection systems. Its new technology delivers the best ever sensitivity to give manufacturers complete confidence in the effectiveness of their quality control procedures.”
By using Direct Conversion technology, X-rays can be converted to electrons without passing via a photodiode. The energy efficiency of the IX-PD is improved by removing one of the inspection process’s steps. The system’s maximum output is 300W, and the tube voltage ranges from 25 to 75 kV. Ishida’s GA self-learning technology adjusts these parameters to precisely match the needs of the foreign objects to be identified. The X-ray tube’s shelf life is further increased by the energy-efficient operation.
Two sizes of the Ishida IX-PD will be offered to accommodate the needs of the broadest range of products and pack sizes. Applications ranging from unpackaged meat items to boxed food applications where products are overlapped can be easily detected thanks to the options of 360mm and 450mm width. Both have small footprints that make them simple to include into packing systems. For ultimate hygiene, an IP66 waterproof design offers complete washdown protection.
The IX-PD, like all Ishida X-ray inspection systems, is capable of doing additional quality control tasks like weight estimate, recognizing damaged goods or packing, and finding missing items.