Metal detection systems are extremely important in a food processing environment. While a metal contamination control program may be in place to minimize potential risks, it is still essential to have a detection system installed. Through combining the efforts of both the control program and the metal detection system, a manufacturer can provide the most effective plan for a metal-free food product.
A manufacturer of metal detection equipment needed a solution to activate a failsafe system on their equipment when metal was detected in the product stream. The manufacturer required a solution with an extremely fast response time in order to stop the equipment immediately when metal was detected.
Based on the requirements, TLX determined that the best solution was a custom latching solenoid. The solenoid could be powered with a short pulse to de-latch the solenoid quickly to activate the failsafe system on the equipment. The solenoid would remain in this de-latched position utilizing no power until it received a second pulse of opposite polarity that would return the solenoid to its original latched position. The solenoid would stay in this position using a permanent magnet until the failsafe system was activated again. The compact size and low power consumption of the custom latching solenoid made it an excellent cost-effective solution for the metal detection equipment.
This latching solenoid can be designed for a variety of applications requiring a fast response time and low power consumption such as sorting and filling equipment, electric locks, medical equipment, etc. In can also be configured for either a push or pull operation depending on the requirements of the application. Strokes and forces are flexible depending on solenoid size.