Category: Blog

When considering Advanced Detection Systems as your metal detector supplier keep in mind that metal detection for industrial applications is our only business. This means that our engineering, service and sales office staff members have been assisting people with industrial metal detector applications day after day for more than 30 years and have become experts. This expertise means we are well qualified to help you choose the metal detector that best meets your specific needs. 

Advantages of The Protector HD Metal Detector

The Protector HD metal detector’s heavy duty construction provides long term use in tough environments such as rock quarries, mining and recycling. The Protector HD’s steel construction protects the transmit and receive coils from damage cause by impact or the outdoor elements. The remnants of damaged, lightweight metal detectors fastened to high production conveyors in quarries are a somewhat common sight. The cost and time required to put the damaged “lightweight” unit back in service commonly leads to delays in getting the metal detector repaired and back in use. 

Defend Processing Equipment with Superior Tramp Metal Detection

The Protector HD is commonly used to defend processing equipment such as granulators, crushers and grinders from damage caused by tramp metal that has found its way into the product stream. The metal detector has a transmit coil in the top tank and a receive coil in the bottom tank. The transmit and receive coils are balanced at a low frequency. A piece of tramp metal passing through the detector disturbs this balance, tripping the detector and stopping the conveyor or actuating a downstream reject device. The Protector HD’s unique digitally balanced coil and dual channel operation provide outstanding reliability and consistency. Metal detectors lacking state of the art digitally balanced transmit and receive coils may drift out of balance leading to inconsistent performance and the need to be re-balanced. 

As an engineering driven industrial metal detector manufacturer Advanced Detection Systems is constantly enhancing the Protector HD for improved performance, ease of use and reliability. Examples are its state of the art power supply and noise protection eliminating what are commonly referred to as nuisance trips. Most metal detectors in quarry applications are set up to stop the conveyor when it is tripped by metal. When this happens, the operator goes to the detector to locate and remove the tramp metal that’s been detected. Lacking a state of the art power supply voltage spikes and dips on the electrical circuit running the metal detector can cause the detector to trip and stop the conveyor. It’s referred to as a nuisance trip because the operator must visit the detector to search for metal that’s not present and then re-start the conveyor. 

Advanced Metal Detection Sensitivity

There is conductive ore in some mined material that can trip the metal detector. The Protector HD has adjustable sensitivity settings enabling it to ignore the signal from conductive material while at the same time detecting the larger signal from tramp metal that could damage a secondary crusher. Rather than having to manually adjust the sensitivity setting to accomplish this the Protector HD has an Autolearn feature that when used while product is passing through the detector automatically sets the detector sensitivity setting. Lacking this feature operators are left with trial and error to set the metal detector sensitivity settings to ignore conductive product and still detect the smallest size tramp metal that could damage their processing equipment. 

Sometimes the specific metal that must be detected changes and requires a change of the metal detector sensitivity settings that have typically been used. In this case the Protector HD’s Product Monitor feature can be used to re-adjust the detector. With product passing through the metal detector the product monitor can be used to display the real time signal value from the product and the target metal that must be detected. These real time signal values can be used to re-set the sensitivity settings as needed. Lacking these real time values adjusting the metal detector sensitivity setting under these circumstances can be a guessing game. 

Optional Metal Detector Accessories

“Spliced” belts are common on conveyors in quarry, mining and recycling metal detector applications. Advanced Detection Systems offers an optional Splice Sensor accessory for the Protector HD metal detector and the hardware package to properly mount it on the conveyor frame. The splice sensor installed on the conveyor upstream of the Protector HD detects the belt splice as it passes by and sends a signal to change the Protector to a “splice setting” that allows it to accommodate the signal from the splice without tripping. At start-up the Protector’s unique “splice learn” touchscreen software is used to determine the splice signal and automatically set the splice sensitivity setting and duration for the time needed to allow the splice to pass. 

In applications with conveyor belts wider than 4 feet and burden depths exceeding 12” (in other words a lot of material) the Advanced Detection Systems unique Metal Marker metal detector accessory can be used to assist operators with locating the tramp metal that has been detected. Upon “detect” the metal marker automatically discharges a brightly colored, highly visible plastic baton and chain in the vicinity of the tramp metal. The baton with orange plastic chain is easily re-loaded into the marker and eliminates the ongoing maintenance associated with the use of paint and spray dye markers. 

The Protector HD with password protected intuitive menus used in conjunction with Advanced Detection Systems proven splice sensor and metal marking devices add up to a state of the art easy to use and reliable system for detecting tramp metal and preventing costly repairs and down time. 

Make ADS Your Industrial Metal Detector Supplier

Advanced Detection Systems’ engineers are experts in industrial metal detection. Our unique approach to metal detection ensures product purity and defends processing equipment. The Protector HD is built to your application specifications and sized to meet your specific needs. Get started today by calling us today at 414-672-0553!

David Smith 
©Advanced Detection Systems, 2023 

Advanced Detection Systems manufactures metal detectors designed to provide reliable, easy-to-use and consistent metal detection. Whether you need to ensure product purity or defend processing equipment, getting the best possible metal detector for your application is of utmost importance. Part of ensuring optimum sensitivity is understanding the factors that affect metal detection levels.  

Types of Metal 

When considering factors that affect the best possible detection levels keep in mind that metal detectors are used to detect particles of Ferrous, Non-Ferrous (aluminum, brass, copper) and Stainless Steel. The accepted method of stating the detectable metal in a particular application is in millimeter spheres. The metal detector’s balanced transmit and receive coils are disturbed by conductivity. Since Ferrous metal is more conductive and magnetic than Non-Ferrous metal or 316 Stainless Steel a metal detector will detect smaller particles of Ferrous than Non-Ferrous or 316 Stainless Steel. Plant managers at food production facilities document the size metal that must be detected by their metal detectors. For example, a metal detection specification of 1.5 mm Ferrous, 1.8 mm Non-Ferrous and 2.0 mm 316 SS reflects the difference in detection level for Ferrous metals, Non-Ferrous metal and Stainless Steel. 

Aperture Size 

The metal detector’s aperture size is a determining factor in the metal detector performance because the best possible detection level declines as the aperture size increases. The size of the metal detector aperture is determined by the largest package or portion of product passing through the detector at a given time. For instance, a 2 lb package of ground beef measuring 5” wide x 7” long x 2.5” high with the narrow dimension leading will require an aperture 4” high and 8” wide if the ground beef is being conveyed on a 6” wide belt. 

Conductivity 

The conductive characteristics of the product known as “Product Effect” also affect the best possible detection level because products that are moist, warm or hot and contain salt or fat can be quite conductive. The quantity or orientation of a conductive product also changes the product effect presented to the metal detector. 

Metal detectors have an Auto Learn feature that analyzes the conductivity and automatically adjusts the metal detector to accommodate the product effect while detecting metal that is in the product. Given the importance of achieving the best possible detection levels food processors often have their product tested by a metal detector manufacturer to determine the best possible detection levels based on their specific aperture size and product characteristics. Lacking product testing the best possible and reliable detection levels are often established at the in-plant start-up of the metal detection system using the metal detector’s AutoLearn feature. 

What Metal Detectors Achieve the Best Possible Detection Levels

Given these factors that are known to affect the best possible metal detection levels food processors who produce non-conductive products and are able to use metal detectors with small apertures are expected to achieve better metal detection levels than those producing conductive products and having to use detectors with larger apertures. 

Get the Best Metal Detector for your Application

Discuss your application with an Advanced Detection Systems metal detector expert today to determine what is the best configuration for your application. We also offer a free product testing service, providing a Sensitivity Guarantee to indicate the optimal detection levels for your products. Call us today to get started 414-672-0553 or email us at service@adsdetection.com.

David Smith 
©Advanced Detection Systems, 2023