Foreign Material Detection
X-Ray Food Inspection Systems
As X-rays pass through the product, they image density differences: stone, glass and metal — even inside the package or the product itself — are detected and automatically rejected. Where the metal detector stops, X-ray begins.
How It Works
It Sees Density,
Not Color
- Pass: The product travels on a conveyor beneath the X-ray curtain.
- Imaging: The detector measures how much the beam is attenuated as it passes through the product.
- Analysis: Software flags anomalies in the density map.
- Rejection: The reject system (pusher arm, air jet, or drop flap) removes the defective product from the line.
- Logging: Every detection is automatically archived with its image.
Detection Capability
What Does It Detect?
Metal
Including stainless steel — even inside aluminum foil packaging.
Glass
Glass fragments a metal detector can never see.
Stone and ceramic
Recognized by density, even when it is the same color as the product.
Pits
Cherry pits, hard pit and shell fragments.
Plastics with metal-like density
High-density plastics such as PVC and Teflon.
Missing / broken product
Fill level, missing pieces, empty/full kernel separation.
Choosing the Right Point
Bulk Product or Packaged Product?
In-Line — Bulk Product
Foreign material is removed before it is ever packaged; only the defective section is rejected, keeping product loss to a minimum.
- Nuts, pulses, and IQF flows
- Machine protection upstream of crushers and mills
- Low product loss, high tonnage
End-of-Line — Packaged Product
The final critical control point: it sees inside sealed packaging and verifies every package on its way to your customer.
- Image-backed reject archive and traceability
- Fill-level and missing-product checks
- Image-backed reject archive, traceability
Capacity Options
SAGE X-Series — by Line Type
Typical values are listed below; detection sensitivity depends on product thickness and density, and the exact figure is determined by testing with your product.
| Series | Belt Width | Line Type | Detection Sensitivity* | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-40 | 400 mm | Packaged product | Ø 0.8 – 1.2 mm SS* | Final inspection of packs, bags, doypacks |
| X-60 | 600 mm | Packaged / bulk | Ø 1.0 – 1.5 mm SS* | Mid-size lines, mixed product groups |
| X-60B | 600 mm | Bulk product | Ø 1.2 – 2.0 mm SS* | In-line sorting for nuts, pulses and IQF |
* SS: stainless-steel test sphere diameter; varies by product. Across all series: IP65+ enclosure options (IP69K washdown option for IQF lines), touchscreen interface, automatic logging; CE-certified models.
Applications
Get an X-Ray Quote for Your Line
Tell us about your product, your packaging and the foreign materials you worry about; we'll pin down the right X-ray setup for your line together.
or email: info@sagemakine.com