Case study – Food industry
UNICON-D 2630/500/600/450-S
 Stephan

Machinery GmbH & Co., Hamelin
The Problem
Stephan Machinery GmbH & Co of Hamelin, one of the world’s leading suppliers of food processing
machinery was contracted to design a new plant in Saudi Arabia for a customer working in the
dairy/cheese sector. The plant would be required to process large, bought-in blocks of butter and
cheese as well as other foodstuffs. The primary requirement was that production should comply in all
respects with the International Food Standard (IFS). S+S Separation and Sorting Technology GmbH
of Schönberg, Bavaria supplied four UNICON-D systems to be installed on each of four production
lines in the Goods-Inward department. Incoming products, weighing between 10 and 25 kg, are
screened before being conveyed to the downstream portion cutter.
Stephan Machinery was initially attracted by the UNICON-D’s worldwide reputation for reliability,
sensitivity and accuracy in food production environments; the speed and high standards with which
S+S executed the contract convinced them they had made the right choice.

Details
• Products to be inspected were of a significant size (maximum length 505 mm, width 312 mm,
height 290 mm)
• Gap between the butter and cheese blocks on the conveyor was small (400 mm)
• Wide temperature variations from -18º C to +6º C.

Solution
The UNICON-D inspects the butter and cheese blocks for ferrous and non-ferrous metal
contaminants. If a contamination is detected the conveyor is automatically declined. Downstream
processing equipment is protected and the integrity of the end product is guaranteed. Rejecting
contaminated product by means of an inclined conveyor is a tried and tested technology for S+S;
however adapting it to perform reliably and efficiently with such heavy and closely spaced products
presented a new challenge.
The UNICON-D incorporates a GLS metal detector head which ensures the highest sensitivity.
Magnetic (ferrous) and non-magnetic metals (V2A stainless steel) are detected and the metalUNICON-CS-EN.doc
S+S Separation and Sorting Technology GmbH Regener Str. 130 D-94513 Schönberg Germany
Tel. +49(0)8554/308-0 Fax: +49(0)8554/2606 • e-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.se-so-tec.com
Case study – Food industry
UNICON-D 2630/500/600/450-S
contaminated product is removed. The GENIUS control unit is especially suitable for applications
where there is a high ‘product effect’, caused by moisture, salts and other conductive components.
The ‘Quattro’ system enables the detection coil to operate at four different frequencies, providing
increased capability for differing products with varying product effects to be reliably and accurately
inspected.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Advantages
Entire metal detection process is automated
Every event can be retraced via the control system’s integral logbook function.
Protection of end products
Optimum results even with products at different temperatures
Tailor-made solutions for individual applications
High sensitivity
Reliable separation of both ferrous and non-ferrous contaminated foodstuffs (blocks of butter and
cheese as well as meat products)
The Result
The project manager at Stephan Machinery is fully aware of the exacting standards required, “Product
liability and the International Food Standard compel Food Industry producers to inspect their products
for contaminants. However a highly accurate and reliable metal detector is no longer sufficient for
today’s market; it must also be intelligent, self-learning and easy to use.”
A spokesman for S+S adds, “With the UNICON-D solution we have created a new standard for
technology in the Food industry; the system has been adapted to solve the very specific challenges
created by heavy blocks of dairy produce and very small gaps between the products, making it the
optimum system for all dairy, cheese and meat producers.”
For more information about this project contact:
Franz Penn, S+S, Tel. +49 8554 308-117
UNICON-CS-EN.doc
S+S Separation and Sorting Technology GmbH Regener Str. 130 D-94513 Schönberg Germany
Tel. +49(0)8554/308-0 Fax: +49(0)8554/2606 • e-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.se-so-tec.com