Manufacturers typically install an x-ray inspection system at the end of the production line, although it can be installed at any point during the production process. The questions are:
- Which are the best locations for x-ray inspection equipment?
- Where are the critical control points to ensure the highest levels of product safety?
- Should x-ray inspection be at the beginning of the production line, where the raw materials arrive, at some intermediate stage, or at the end of the line before products are shipped out?
- Or would product safety and quality be better served by installing x-ray systems at more than one critical control point?
The webinar explains that effective x-ray inspection has to be part of a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) approach to product safety. After briefly covering the first two of the seven HACCP principles, the webinar takes readers step-by step along the production line.
The production line steps covered are:
- Raw ingredients
- Bulk-flow products
- Pumped products
- Before and during processing
- After processing
- Before packaging and sealing
- After packaging and sealing
- Final cases
At each production stage, the webinar discusses the advantages and disadvantages of placing x-ray inspection equipment at that point. This step-by-step analysis is helpful because it reminds viewers that there is always a trade-off between risk and cost.