Flexible inspections

Alpine Slicing & Cheese Conversion of Monroe, WI, provides slicing, cutting and packaging services to cheese producers nationwide. Recently, the company has been able to raise its quality control to new levels, largely by taking advantage of the flexibility found in Loma Systems' (www.loma.com) IQ3 variable-frequency metal detector.

“We run a combined total of seventy-eight different products and sizes through our metal detector,” explains Bill Stuart, plant manager at Alpine. “Before variable-frequency came along, you would have to set a metal detector at a compromise point that would work for your products across the board.” Earlier, Stuart and five other key employees had all worked together at a different cheese-cutting operation that had gone out of business. Afterward, one of their customers convinced them to start their own operation. So, although Alpine was founded in 2005, it was able to open its doors with 290 years combined of cheese industry experience.

“Alpine is a cheese converter,” says Stuart. “What we do is take bulk cheese from different cheese plants, and we convert it into slices, chunks and shreds. The end result usually ranges from an eight-ounce chunk, wedge or package of slices to a five-pound deli piece.”

The company converts all natural cheese products, including organic and kosher. To wrap the cheese, Alpine typically uses polyethylene-based structures on a variety of packaging equipment including vacuum, gas-flushing and (horizontal and vertical) form/fill/seal machines.

Because Alpine was building a new operation from scratch, it was in an ideal position to select equipment that could deliver desired performance.

Higher frequency level

Historically, metal detectors were designed to operate on a single frequency calibrated to specific product characteristics. Recently, two- and three-frequency units have expanded those capabilities somewhat, but tended to deliver statistically compromised results.

The IQ3 system takes things to an even higher level by offering both state-of-the art sensitivity and stability so that packagers with multiple product requirements have a higher degree of detecting accuracy than was previously possible.

“The ability to detect small particles accurately has really improved with the IQ3,” Stuart says. “It's just one more tool for us to meet our HACCP requirements.”

The variable-frequency metal detector alters the way most metal detectors function by analyzing “product effect” (temperature, moisture, salt content, speed, packaging material, etc.) and reviewing a broad band of frequencies.

The system offers the right frequency for the specific application within seconds. This frequency selection also removes the potential for operator error from the equation and allows the same unit to run a broad variety of products.

The IQ3's state-of-the art capabilities are made possible by the latest in case and coil geometry, which deliver a quantum leap in immunity from vibration, electrical interference and thermal shock, Loma says. In turn, this can increase stability, which means fewer false positives.

The improved sensitivity delivers an even greater capability to detect metal contaminants. Further, the IQ3 is built to withstand extremely harsh operating environments.

Adds Stuart, “The unit is extremely user-friendly and easy to set up for a new product. We haven't had any problems with the machine or training our people on how to use it.”

The IQ3 also offers a solution for plants where multiple primary languages are spoken. The graphics-driven touchscreen simplifies communication and operation issues and has a language-based interface with multiple choices and user identification options.

At first, Alpine wheeled the unit to wherever it was needed. As more packing lines were added (five in total, now), it purchased an additional three IQ3 units. The detectors are now in a fixed position on three respective lines.

“More and more companies won't do business with you if you don't have metal detectors,” says Stuart. “We're confident that we're meeting our quality-control objectives.”