Detecting Metal In Textiles And Nonwovens

Eriez offers an extensive range of equipment to textile and nonwoven producers to both detect and remove metal contamination of all types from the production process, thereby reducing the risk of machinery and product damage.

Magnetic separation devices in the form of Magnetic Tubes or Rods, Plate and Bar Magnets remove ferrous metals and are often installed at the raw material stage. Such magnets are available in a wide range of strengths and sizes. Choosing the optimum magnet for the job depends on the application parameters and the type of metal to be removed.

During the production process, expensive calenders, rollers and cutting mechanisms can be protected by use of high sensitivity aperture type E-Z Tec Metal Detectors. These can be employed to detect metal objects of 1mm (0.039") and sometimes less in diameter.

The final product can be checked for small metal inclusions such as broken needle tips by using the Eriez Model SS METALARM 7000 Single Sider Metal Detector which has the ability to spot metal fragments in any type of fabric.

The METALARM 7000 incorporates a patented search coil system that not only yields a high level of sensitivity – typically a 1mm (0.039") sphere – but also has two significant advantages over existing systems. The first is that it can be installed at close proximity to moving metals without losing sensitivity or being falsely tripped. This in turn means that the detector can be fitted into a wide range of machines with virtually no modification, and in positions not previously possible to accommodate such equipment. Second, the METALARM 7000 will also indicate the position of any metal detected within a 250mm (9.8") length, if required. This saves the user having to visually check materials – up to five metres (16.4 ft) wide – which can be very time consuming and costly in terms of production downtime.

In addition, Eriez manufactures metal detector conveyor systems for checking finished garments and primary products such as ribbons, elastic, shoulder pads, etc.

Often used in tandem with conveyor and aperture type metal detectors is the HandyTec Hand-held Detector. This is a simple, portable device for pinpointing the exact position of metal down to 1mm (0.039") in size and is often used for routine inspections to check finished items for pinheads and any other lingering metallic objects.

Source: Eriez