Inspection kit that ticks the sustainable box

As a finalist in the 2015 PPMA Awards Sustainability category, "Waste Not Want Not' is a phrase that resonates highly at Fortress Technology, and this filters across our entire metal inspection range, including the newest Interceptor innovation being demonstrated on stand B01.

One of the underpinning themes of the Save Food initiative is to give manufacturers access to more sustainable production systems and methods. With 90 per cent of Fortress metal detectors sold to UK food factories, extending the lifespan of equipment and optimising ROI for our growing customer base is where we focus a large amount of our R&D efforts.

There are different aspects to the sustainability agenda - from how you make your value and supply chain more eco-friendly by reducing your energy consumption and your carbon footprint, to tackling the volume of good food wasted through false product rejects. False metal detection readings can amount to 14,000 annually per production line. This is partly down to the way the magnetic field reacts to the product characteristics - the product effect - so sensitivity of the detector head plays a big part. The newest software can give a better performance, another benefit of backward compatible equipment.

The other side to sustainability is being more mindful about the lifecycle of your equipment when purchasing. Realistically, with the right maintenance, a well-built metal detector can run for 20+ years. Machinery innovation is not going to slow-up. There's always going to be faster, more efficient and cutting-edge technological products coming to market. But that doesn't mean you need to prematurely bin your perfectly functional kit because it doesn't comply with the latest retail inspection standards or regulations. A metal detector is big hunk of equipment, most with coils embedded in epoxy or even concrete, making it harder to reclaim and recycle components when it enters the waste stream.

Legacy systems have a reputation for being expensive to maintain. But there are viable alternatives. Much of this will be directed by your supplier, their R&D capabilities and experience, and willingness to look beyond the order list to invest in upgrades. A good example of this is when M&S revised its Codes of Practice in 2012. Within weeks Fortress issued the required software and safety feature upgrades, costing approximately 70 per cent less than acquiring a brand new metal detector system. Also, I don't know many suppliers willing to bolt their technology onto another's. But it's how the sector is evolving. Up to 15 per cent of global equipment sold by our company is integrated into non-Fortress units. Customers value it because it optimises their ROI.

If your kit performs just as efficiently as it did in 1996 and continues to comply with retailer standards, in my view that's responsible waste stewardship and a big tick for sustainability.

To learn more about the company's metal detector systems please visit www.fortresstechnology.co.uk.