FA-MD3518 Metal Detector: Precision Contamination Control for Small-Packaged Snack & Confectionery Products

For manufacturers of small-packaged snacks, confectionery, and ready-to-eat foods, even the tiniest metal fragment can trigger costly recalls, damage brand reputation, and lead to regulatory penalties. SnackDelight Sdn Bhd, a leading producer of premium small-packaged nuts, candies, and biscuits in Malaysia, turned to Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd. to solve its metal detection challenges. By deploying our FA-MD3518 Metal Detector, SnackDelight eliminated contamination risks, reduced waste, and secured full compliance with Malaysian Food Safety Act and HACCP standards.

The Challenge: Metal Contamination & Production Bottlenecks in Small-Pack Processing

SnackDelight Sdn Bhd produces over 120,000 small-packaged items daily, including 15g roasted nut pouches, 30g fruit candies, and 50g butter biscuits, supplying to major retail chains across Southeast Asia. In early 2025, a critical incident threatened its business:

Contamination Risk: A 0.6mm ferrous metal fragment from a packaging blade was found in a batch of 15g nut pouches, triggering a regional recall that cost MYR 45,000 (≈€9,200) in direct expenses and damaged its relationship with a leading convenience store chain.
High False Reject Rate: Legacy metal detectors struggled with lightweight, small-sized packages, leading to frequent false rejects (15% of production) due to product shifting on narrow belts. This wasted 18,000 qualified items weekly, costing MYR 3,200 (≈€650) in monthly material losses.
Space Constraints: The company’s production floor was compact, and bulky legacy detectors occupied valuable space, limiting expansion for new product lines.
Hygiene & Compliance Gaps: Old machines had crevice-ridden designs that trapped crumbs and sugar residues, creating bacterial growth risks and failing HACCP audits, threatening its export license to Singapore and Brunei.

“Our small-packaged snacks are our core product, but metal contamination and inefficient inspection were putting our brand and compliance at risk,” says Lee Wei Ling, Quality Assurance Manager at SnackDelight Sdn Bhd. “We needed a compact, high-sensitivity metal detector built specifically for small, lightweight packages that could fit in our tight production space.”

The Solution: Fanchi-tech FA-MD3518 Metal Detector for Small-Pack Products

After evaluating 6 competitors, SnackDelight selected the FA-MD3518 Metal Detector for its compact design, high sensitivity, and food-grade construction. As shown in our factory photos, the FA-MD3518 features:

304 Stainless Steel Frame: Hygienic, crevice-free construction ideal for food processing environments, supporting daily washdowns to prevent crumb and sugar residue buildup.
Narrow Inspection Channel (350mm Width × 180mm Height): Custom-sized to accommodate small-packaged snacks (15g–50g), eliminating product shifting and ensuring stable inspection.
High-Sensitivity Detection Technology: Delivers precision detection of:Adaptive Signal Filtering: Suppresses interference from lightweight, small packages, drastically reducing false rejects.
- Ferrous metal fragments ≥0.6mm
- Non-ferrous metal fragments ≥0.8mm
- Stainless steel fragments ≥1.0mm
Compact & Mobile Design: Sturdy stainless steel frame with anti-vibration support legs and optional caster wheels, fitting into tight production floor spaces and enabling easy relocation between lines.
Intuitive Touch-Screen Control Panel: Easy-to-operate interface with 30+ product presets, enabling fast setup for different snack formats (nuts, candies, biscuits).
Emergency Stop & Safety Features: Clearly marked emergency stop button and safety guards, ensuring operator safety during continuous operation.

Key Capabilities for Small-Pack Snacks:

Precision Contamination Detection:

The FA-MD3518’s high-resolution sensor penetrates small, dense snack packages, detecting even the tiniest metal fragments hidden inside nut pouches or candy wrappers—eliminating the blind spots of legacy detectors. During on-site validation, it achieved a 100% detection rate for 0.6mm ferrous fragments in 15g nut pouches.
Ultra-Low False Rejects:

Adaptive filtering technology stabilizes lightweight packages on the conveyor, reducing false rejects to just 1%—a 93% reduction from the legacy system’s 15% rate. This minimized product waste and preserved SnackDelight’s profit margins.
Space-Saving & Hygienic Design:

The compact footprint (just 1.2m × 0.7m) fits seamlessly into SnackDelight’s tight production floor, freeing up space for a new flavor line. The 304 stainless steel frame and smooth, seamless surfaces eliminate hidden crevices, reducing cleaning time by 40% and meeting HACCP hygiene requirements.

The Outcome: Zero Recalls & 20% Faster Production

In the 10 months since deploying 4 FA-MD3518 Metal Detectors across SnackDelight’s production lines:

37 Critical Contaminants Intercepted: Detected 0.6–1.0mm metal fragments from packaging equipment, mixing blades, and conveyor parts, preventing 3 potential recalls and MYR 72,000 (≈€14,700) in estimated losses.
93% Reduction in False Rejects: Weekly discarded packages dropped from 18,000 to 1,800, saving MYR 2,900 (≈€590) monthly in material and labor costs.
20% Faster Production: Stable inspection and fast SKU switching increased line efficiency by 20%, adding 9 hours of weekly production capacity during peak holiday demand.
100% Audit Compliance: Passed all HACCP and Malaysian Food Safety Act audits with zero non-conformities, securing a 3-year export contract to Singapore worth MYR 380,000 (≈€77,500).
Low Maintenance Costs: The robust 304 stainless steel design and modular components reduced annual maintenance expenses by 30% compared to legacy machines.

“The FA-MD3518 didn’t just fix our metal detection problem—it transformed our small-pack snack operations,” says Lee. “We now have complete confidence that every small package leaving our facility is safe, compliant, and free of metal contaminants.”

Why Fanchi-tech’s FA-MD3518 Leads in Small-Pack Metal Detection

For manufacturers of small-packaged snacks, confectionery, and ready-to-eat foods, the FA-MD3518 Metal Detector delivers:

Small-Pack Optimized Design: Narrow 350×180mm channel for stable inspection of lightweight, tiny packages.
High Sensitivity & Low False Rejects: Precision detection of 0.6mm ferrous fragments, with adaptive filtering to minimize waste.
Hygienic & Compact: 304 stainless steel construction and space-saving footprint, ideal for tight food processing floors.
Mobile & Flexible: Optional caster wheels enable easy relocation between production lines.
Intuitive Operation: Touch-screen presets reduce operator training time and speed up SKU changes.

Secure Your Small-Pack Production Lines Today

If you’re a manufacturer of small-packaged snacks, confectionery, or ready-to-eat foods facing metal contamination risks, high false rejects, or space constraints, contact Kerry Wang to arrange a free virtual demo or on-site trial of the FA-MD3518 Metal Detector. We’ll test the unit with your specific small-pack products to validate performance for your line speed and production requirements.

Shanghai Fanchi-tech Machinery Co., Ltd.

Email: fanchitech@outlook.com
Website: www.fanchitechnology.com

Post time: Mar-30-2026

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