X-ray inspection technology at the cutting edge

This article was published in the The Engineer  journal. Please follow this link to read more:

How X-rays can spot packaged poultry seal
issues

This article was published in the WATT Poultry journal. Please follow this link to read more:

Food and Beverage adopts technology – slowly but surely

The food and beverage (F&B) industry has been historically slow in adopting new technologies, largely due to concerns over hygiene and safety, and reliance on traditional systems. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chain, prompting faster integration of technologies such as AI, automation, and blockchain. These innovations, including automated robots, IoT devices, and AI-based monitoring, are improving efficiency, transparency, and safety across the supply chain. While the pace of tech adoption remains gradual, the industry is now embracing Industry 4.0, leveraging data analytics and digitalization to enhance food availability, accessibility, and security.

This article was published in the Asia Food journal. Please follow this link to read more:

Harnessing the Hidden Data Center on Your
Production Line

Modern production lines have evolved beyond simple “pass or fail” inspections. Systems like check weighers, X-ray machines, and vision systems now provide valuable data that can be analyzed to predict trends and prevent defects before they occur. By capturing and analyzing this fast-moving data, manufacturers can optimize processes, reduce waste, and improve product quality in real time. The integration of these systems also enhances traceability, allowing for better identification of root causes and more informed decision-making. As Industry 4.0 continues to develop, the ability to leverage interconnected data will drive greater efficiency and precision in manufacturing operations.

This article was published in the Asia Food journal. Please follow this link to read more:

Sapphire Inspection Systems leads the way in Pet Food Inspection with GA Pet Food

“As one of the largest independent manufacturers of private label pet food in Europe, we handle 700 different recipes and 2,500 different pack formats – so it’s a challenge to find inspection equipment that can cope with that. Sapphire has the expertise to create bespoke solutions for us that fully integrate with our own systems to provide a high level of process control and, in turn, reassurance for our own customers about the quality of every bag of their products.”

– Andy Kettle, GA Petfood Partners

Sapphire Inspection Systems collaborated with leading pet food brand, GA Pet Food Partners to create the G40XL – our largest ever xray system.

Sapphire Inspection Systems and GA Petfoods have built a long standing partnership, working together for many years to produce good quality products through xray inspection technology. GA Pet Foods is already home to eight other Sapphire innovations, including a G50 Side Shoot Xray inspection and weight checking machine capable of handling upright bags of various sizes up to 4kg at a rate of 1,800 an hour.

To constantly innovate and evolve, we produced the new Xray machine for GA Pet Foods state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lancashire, England. With the site producing 80,000 tonnes of dry pet food a year, Sapphires innovations needed to be integrated seamlessly into their production line and offer GA Pet Foods complete peace of mind.

Sapphire Inspection Systems worked with GA Pet Food Partners to design and develop a new machine specifically to meet their requirements. The technology had to inspect pet food kibble up to one metre in length, weighing up to 25kg. The result is the G40XL, our largest ever xray inspection machine at more than six metres long.

This robust machine has the ability to be transported and inspect a substantial tonnage of product on a round-the-clock basis. Inspecting at a rate of 800 bags an hour, the machine perfectly complements and upholds mass production. As well as ensuring the pet food bags are free of contaminants (such as fragments of metal, stone, or glass), the G40XL can also check the weight of each bag to ensure it contains the precise amount of kibble.

Any rejected product can be reworked before it leaves the facility at GA, to ensure low wastage and sustainable production.

Here at Sapphire Inspection Systems, we offer a range of products and bespoke solutions to suit your production requirements, From small to large, wet or dry. We work closely with our clients to ensure complete peace of mind and leading innovation to integrate with your production line, so you can produce quality products.

From Rule-Based to AI X-ray Inspection

Until now, X-ray inspection algorithms have been rule based – software extracts a series of measurements from image data and applies a set of rules to determine whether or not a product is conformant. In this situation, the engineer designing the algorithm will maintain an understanding of the underlying image processing and apply appropriate rules.

While this approach has worked well in the past, with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, it is beginning to look increasingly anachronistic. But to harness this much simpler approach, it is necessary to understand the processes of training systems.

Conventional wisdom would require that a large number of ‘classification’ samples are passed through the system, so that the equipment can ‘learn’ what is a good and a bad product. It is normally fairly easy to get, for example, 10,000 samples of good products to train the system. However, it is rather more of a challenge to get anyone in the food processing industry to make 10,000 reject samples!

The next step is therefore to create autonomous systems where we use the traditional rule-based algorithms to teach the machine learning system automatically. This has the advantage of deskilling the process and will result in systems that are much faster – both in terms of set-up and operation – as well as simpler to understand.

This article was published in the International Confectionery journal. Please follow this link to read more:

How X-ray Inspection Technology is Transforming Food Processing

A new generation of X-ray inspection technology is revolutionizing the food industry by offering real-time insights into product quality without disrupting traditional factory operations or high-speed production. This technology goes beyond detecting foreign objects like metal or glass; it can also assess product weight, detect missing or damaged items, and ensure proper filling distribution. It enhances food safety by identifying issues such as sauce trapped in seals, which can spoil products. Additionally, X-ray systems can optimize inspection for various food types, ensuring precise quality control. With advanced software, these systems can even monitor the ripeness of cheese or fat content in meat, providing valuable insights for food producers.

The full article was published in the Processed Food Industry journal. Please follow this link to read more:

Giant X-ray Machine Inspects Pet Food Bags up to 25kg

GA Pet Food Partners, a leading independent private-label pet food manufacturer in Europe, operates on a 40-acre site in Bretherton, Leyland, producing around 80,000 metric tons of dry pet food annually. The company’s Freshtrusion process stands out for its integration of high levels of fresh meat into recipes, ensuring superior quality and nutritional value. Recent innovations include a fully automated packaging line equipped with a state-of-the-art X-ray system from Sapphire Inspection Systems. This new system, notable for its large size and advanced detection capabilities, enhances quality control and reduces labor by 75%. GA Pet Food’s commitment to quality and innovation is reflected in their tailored solutions and continuous improvement of production processes.

The full article was published in the Packaging World journal. Please follow this link to read more: