Bakeries investing in quality assurance equipment need to make sure it is working well every minute to promote food safety.

“According to the International Society of Automation, machine downtime can account for up to 5% of lost production time; the worst affected may lose up to 20%,” said Eric Garr, regional sales manager, Fortress Technology. 

Garr said his company recommends a training program that covers essential food inspection audit requirements, including hygiene, fail-safe routines and checks, production data, product testing and machine maintenance. 

“With a comprehensive understanding of how to operate and optimize inspection equipment, staff will be able to identify and resolve any potential food safety issues,” he added.

Key maintenance steps must be followed for metal detectors and vision systems to remain in optimal working order, said Alexandre Goasmat, robotics and automation product manager, ABI Ltd. 

“Since there are no critical hardware components, the focus should be on cleanliness,” he said. “Make sure that flour or other debris does not accumulate on the cameras, as obstructions can affect their functionality. Additionally, keep conveyors and carriers clean to prevent false data readings from the sensors. Regular maintenance and cleaning will help avoid misalignment and ensure accurate and reliable performance of these systems.”

Checking the calibration of vision systems is critical to keeping them up and running, noted Andrew McGhie, business development director, KPM vision inspection, KPM Analytics.

“The customer runs calibration validation blocks through the inspection system to make sure the system is measuring accurately,” he said. “Calibration is a process that takes just a few minutes and should be undertaken regularly, typically weekly or monthly.”

Metal detectors and checkweighers are the ones most susceptible to being thrown off because they’re not using a software-based inspection, said Kyle Hermes, vice president, TDI Packsys. 

“Moving those systems is the biggest issue we see,” he said. “People move those systems and don’t recalibrate them. I would definitely encourage people to constantly be reevaluating.”

This article is an excerpt from the August 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Quality Assurance, click here.