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Technology Explained:
Clip Masking in X-ray Systems
In food production, foreign object detection is crucial for product safety. But what happens when metal parts that belong to the product — but are harmless — appear in the X-ray image?
A prime example is the metal clips on sliced bread packaging. These closures are made of X-ray dense material and would trigger a false alarm without special technology. As a result, the flawless product would be rejected. Operating an X-ray inspection system for foreign object control would thus become impossible.
This is exactly where our intelligent Masking Function (or clip suppression) in the X-ray inspection software comes in. Instead of analyzing the entire image, the operator digitally defines an exclusion zone — an exact template over the position of the metal clip.
This digital mask filters out the known, harmless metal components and allows the detection algorithm to concentrate exclusively on unknown and potentially dangerous foreign objects in the rest of the product area.
Even if the clip’s position changes, the exclusion zone is reliably and dynamically identified. This also allows for the identification of incomplete clips or the detection of unwanted whole or broken closures within the product. The result: Maximum detection reliability while simultaneously minimizing false rejects. This is how Mesutronic X-ray systems guarantee that your product safety is always assured without compromising the efficiency of your line.
