Metal detectors for new bakery

Seven Stealth metal detectors combined with Vector conveyors have been supplied by Fortress Technology as part of a new, multi-million-pound centralised bakery for a unnamed major retailer. Each system acts as a critical control point (CCP) at the end of a packaging line.

The packaging section of the bakery handles over 300 artisan products across its six lines, one of which can handle two product streams. Products range from cookies to farmhouse bloomers and French sticks. Production runs last just 20 or 30 minutes.

“The broad size range and frequent changeovers meant there is a lot of non-standard engineering involved in these lines,”​ says Tony Hacker, md of Frontline Packaging, which was the main contractor for the packaging installation.

“The time pressure was also extreme, with the initial enquiry arriving with us in February and a deadline to go live in June. So when I ‘went shopping’ for suppliers to provide the pieces of equipment that we don’t build ourselves, I set a lot of store by which supplier gave me good support.”​

Huge product range ​

Each major multiple demands that equipment suppliers comply with its own code of practice (COP) and this project was no exception. “With the COP and the huge product range, the spec I was putting out to suppliers was as long as your arm, plus their response needed to be quick,”​ says Hacker.

The metal detector supplied had to comply with the supermarket’s COP, which included aspects ranging from the sensitivity of the detector to padlocks on the reject bins.

Non-standard elements included enlargement of both the pusher and the reject bin on the line handling baguettes to handle the awkward shape. Also, all the systems were fitted with custom-built guards to protect them from trollies manoeuvring around the site once the bakery was up and running.

Contact: Fortress Technology​