PBS Metal and foreign-body detection for food lines.
Tea, spices, edible oils, seafood and meat products. We match the detector to your product and pack, install it and support it afterwards.
Call 077 132 3424 · WhatsApp us
- Conveyor detector
- Free-fall detector
- Liquid product detector
- X-ray inspection
- Detector and checkweigher
Authorized Techik distributor and service center for Sri Lanka. PBS supplies genuine Techik metal detectors, X-ray inspection systems, checkweighers, metal separators and colour sorters, and handles installation, commissioning, repair and maintenance under manufacturer authorization. We also supply nearby countries. Call 077 132 3424 or visit www.pbsmetaldetectors.com.
Food line equipment we supply
Pick the equipment for specifications, prices and FAQs. Supplied, installed, commissioned and serviced islandwide.
Conveyor metal detectors →
Packed and loose product on a belt. LKR 1,000,000 – 25,000,000.
Free-fall metal detectors →
Powders and granules dropping into a bagger. LKR 1,500,000 – 4,500,000.
Pipeline metal detectors →
Pumped liquids, pastes and slurries. LKR 2,500,000 – 6,500,000.
Checkweigher and detector →
Weight check and metal check in one frame. LKR 1,000,000 – 4,500,000.
Food X-ray inspection →
Glass, stone, bone and metal, including foil packs. LKR 10,000,000 – 65,000,000.
Colour sorters →
Remove discoloured and foreign material from tea, spices and grain.
AI UHD colour sorter →
Removes hair, insects and fine foreign matter. New to Sri Lanka.
Metal separators →
Detect and eject metal from falling product in one unit.
Price guide →
Indicative LKR prices for every product type.
Match the detector to the product, not to the price list
The single biggest cause of a detector that nobody trusts is choosing it before anyone looked at the product. Moisture, salt content, temperature and pack material all change what the machine sees. That is product effect, and it decides which detector you need.
- Dry, stable product such as tea, spices, flour and biscuits. Low product effect. A standard multi-frequency detector reaches its rated sensitivity.
- Wet, salty or warm product such as seafood, meat, curry pastes and cheese. High product effect. Needs a detector that learns the product signal and compensates for it, otherwise it rejects good product.
- Frozen product. Signal changes as the product warms through the shift, so the detector must be set at the temperature it will actually run at.
- Foil and metallised film packs. A metal detector cannot see through them. These lines need X-ray inspection.
- Product in glass jars. Metal detection will not find glass-in-glass. X-ray will.
Typical specifications
Indicative figures for sizing and budgeting. Exact aperture, sensitivity and price are confirmed in the quotation after we see the product and the line.
| Equipment | Typical size range | Typical sensitivity | Indicative price, LKR excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conveyor metal detector | Aperture 100 × 300 mm to 400 × 800 mm | From about 0.8 mm ferrous, 1.0 mm non-ferrous, 1.5 mm stainless | 1,000,000 – 25,000,000 |
| Free-fall metal detector | Throat 50 – 250 mm | From about 0.6 mm ferrous, 0.8 mm non-ferrous, 1.2 mm stainless | 1,500,000 – 4,500,000 |
| Pipeline metal detector | DN50 – DN100 pipe | From about 1.0 mm ferrous, 1.5 mm non-ferrous, 2.0 mm stainless | 2,500,000 – 6,500,000 |
| Checkweigher and detector | Weighing range 10 g – 10 kg | As conveyor detector, plus weight accuracy to your pack size | 1,000,000 – 4,500,000 |
| Food X-ray inspection | Belt width 300 – 600 mm | Metal, glass, stone, bone, dense plastic; works through foil | 10,000,000 – 65,000,000 |
| Colour sorter | 1 to 10 chutes by capacity | Colour, shape and foreign material by camera | On request |
Sensitivity is quoted as the diameter of a test sphere found reliably at the centre of the aperture, the hardest position. Stainless steel is always the largest of the three figures, so compare machines on that number.
How to choose, step by step
- Decide what you must find. Metal only, or glass, stone and bone as well. That single answer decides metal detector or X-ray.
- Check the pack. Foil or metallised film rules out metal detection.
- Pick the position on the line. After the last point metal can enter, and as close to final pack as possible. Detecting before the last risk point proves nothing.
- Size the aperture. The smallest opening the product and belt pass through with clearance. Oversizing permanently costs sensitivity.
- Set the throughput. Line speed and pack rate decide belt length and the reject timing.
- Choose the reject. Air blast for light packs, pusher for heavier ones, stop-on-detect for bulk. The reject bin must be lockable and the system fail-safe.
- Agree the test regime. Test piece sizes, test frequency and the record format, before the machine arrives.
What food safety auditors ask for
Whether you are audited against HACCP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, BRCGS or a buyer's own standard, the questions about metal detection are much the same. Having these in place before the audit is far easier than afterwards.
- Metal detection identified as a critical control point in the HACCP plan, with the hazard analysis that justifies it.
- A written test procedure stating test piece sizes for ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel, who tests, and how often.
- Certified test pieces, with their certificates, and a record of where they are kept.
- Test records showing a pass or fail for every test, signed, with no gaps.
- A fail-safe reject: if air pressure drops, the belt stops or the bin fills, the line stops rather than passing product.
- A locked reject bin, and a named person responsible for clearing it.
- A documented hold procedure: on a failed test, product back to the last good test is held and re-inspected.
- Evidence of operator training and a calibration or service record for the machine.
What to send us for an exact quote
Six answers are usually enough for us to quote the right machine within 24 hours.
- The product, and whether it is wet, salty, warm or frozen.
- The pack: material, size and weight. Say if it is foil or metallised.
- Where on the line the machine will sit, and the belt height and width.
- Line speed, in packs per minute or kilograms per hour.
- The sensitivity your customer or standard requires, if one has been specified.
- Whether you need a reject device, and which type suits the pack.
A photo of the line at the intended position is worth more than any of it.
Common questions about food line detection
What does a metal detector on a food line actually find?
Three groups of metal: ferrous (steel, iron), non-ferrous (aluminium, brass, copper) and stainless steel. Ferrous is the easiest to find, stainless steel the hardest, because 316 grade stainless is only weakly magnetic and conducts poorly. A detector that finds a 1.0 mm steel sphere in your product will usually need a 1.5 to 2.5 mm sphere before it reliably finds stainless. Always compare quotations on the stainless figure, not the ferrous one.
Should I buy a metal detector or an X-ray system?
A metal detector finds metal only, costs far less and is the right answer for most dry and packed food lines. An X-ray system also finds glass, stone, bone, dense plastic and rubber, checks fill level and missing pieces, and keeps working inside metallised film and foil packs where a metal detector cannot. If your product is packed in foil, or your customer specifically asks for glass and stone detection, you need X-ray.
Will a detector work on wet, salty or hot product?
Yes, but it has to be set up for it. Moisture, salt and temperature make product conduct, and the detector sees that as a signal. This is called product effect. Multi-frequency and auto-learn detectors compensate for it, which is why we ask for a product sample or a full description before quoting. A detector chosen from a brochure without this step will either miss metal or reject good product all day.
What aperture size should I order?
The smallest aperture your product and belt will pass through with clearance. Sensitivity falls as the opening gets larger, so an oversized aperture permanently weakens the machine. Send us the pack dimensions and the belt width and we will size it.
What do food safety auditors want to see?
That metal detection is written into your HACCP plan as a critical control point, that you have a documented test procedure with certified test pieces for ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless, that every test is recorded with a pass or fail, that the reject device is fail-safe and the reject bin is locked, and that failures trigger a hold on product back to the last good test.
How often should we test the detector?
At minimum at the start of production, at the end, and at a fixed interval in between, commonly every one to four hours depending on your HACCP plan and your customer's standard. Also test after any stoppage, reject jam or settings change. Record each test.
What is included when we buy from PBS?
Supply of the machine, installation on your line, commissioning and sensitivity setting with your own product and certified test pieces, operator and QA training on routine testing and record keeping, one year warranty, and service, calibration and spare parts afterwards. Supply and support are islandwide.
What does it cost?
Conveyor metal detectors run from about LKR 1,000,000 to 25,000,000, free-fall units LKR 1,500,000 to 4,500,000, pipeline units LKR 2,500,000 to 6,500,000, detector and checkweigher combinations LKR 1,000,000 to 4,500,000, and food X-ray systems LKR 10,000,000 to 65,000,000. All excluding VAT. See the metal detector price guide for the full list.
Get your quote in 24 hours
Send your requirement and PBS replies within 24 hours, with no obligation.