Wellington Foods Protects Dietary Supplement Safety with X-Ray Inspection System

“Throughout our search, Mettler-Toledo was our first choice,” notes Juan Ortega, project manager at Wellington. “As for selecting the exact model and options, we relied on the recommendations we got from our sales rep, Jonathon Vanderhorst of Pacific Packaging and Inspection. He helped us chose the X37, which is one of Mettler-Toledo Safeline’s most advanced detection systems. It’s able to detect a metal fragment, glass shard, dense plastic, and other foreign material while also performing product integrity checks such as confirming fill level and making sure caps are applied correctly and not skewed.”

Wellington relies on a X37 x-ray system from Mettler-Toledo Safeline to help ensure final product quality. (Photo: Wellington Foods)

The X37 is a versatile, high-speed inspection system designed for nutraceuticals as well as pharmaceuticals, foods, and other products packaged in tall, rigid containers made of metal, glass, plastic, paperboard, and more. It’s available with a low-, medium- or high-powered generator and a choice of either a 0.4mm or 0.8mm detector to meet the specific requirements of each customer. Depending on the application, it can inspect up to 1,200 packages/min.  

Wellington’s X37 x-ray is inspecting liquid dietary supplements such as multivitamins, mineral products, and joint health products in bottles made of HDPE, PVC, or glass and ranging in size from two ounces to one liter. With a maximum throughput of 200 bottles/min on this line, they’re able to achieve the detection sensitivity they need with Mettler-Toledo’s low-powered x-ray generator, which improves their energy efficiency and reduces their operating costs. The X37 at Wellington was installed at the end of the packaging line over an existing conveyor to minimize floorspace requirements.

After the X37 x-ray system, “good” products flow downstream to Wellington’s cartoner and case packer. Out-of-tolerance products are automatically removed from the line using a Mettler-Toledo pneumatic reject device, which pushes “bad” bottles into a lockable bin where they’re held until removed by the QA team, tested to identify the issue, and ultimately destroyed.

For any contract firm, fast changeover is critical. “Our X37 is the easiest system to change over on this entire packaging line. It’s programmed to know what every ‘good’ package looks like, and it will reject anything out of the ordinary,” says Ortega. “During a changeover, we simply tap the touchscreen to select a new recipe that’s saved to memory. Then we send a couple of bottles and test rods through to verify the setup is correct. It’s very quick and easy, and it requires no adjustments.”

“During production, we check the x-ray system every 30 minutes by sending test rods through,” adds Nering. “The X37 is extremely accurate. Even at our high level of sensitivity, we’ve had no false rejects.”

“Since we’re handling liquid products, sanitation is very important. There’s always the potential for spills and sticky surfaces,” says Chuck Sprague, vice president of operations at Wellington. “Our X37 is actually rated for IP65 and a full washdown environment, which is more than we currently need. We typically just wipe it down and it’s ready to go.”

Harnack concludes, “The X37 is a reliable, top-of-the-line x-ray system. Thanks to its high level of performance, this system gives us confidence that every product we’re sending to consumers is safe. Final product inspection with our X37 is absolutely non-negotiable for both compliance and our peace of mind.”

—Edited by Keren Sookne