Cesco Sanitary Mag Trap

We’re going to talk a little bit about a service Holland has been offering for some time- Magnetic or “Mag” trap verification and validation. In today’s blog, we’ll give you an overview of how sanitary mag trap testing is performed, why you should have it done, and our current service offerings.

To begin, sanitary magnetic or “mag” traps have been used in the food processing industry for quite some time to prevent two things- adulteration of product and process equipment protection. Keeping metallic objects out of your product not only protects consumers, but also brand name risk and costly recalls. Mag traps will also protect pumps, valves, and instruments from damage. This helps avoid downtime and other costly repairs. Because most customers are familiar with a Mag Traps and what they do, the rest of this post will focus on how we test them.

Historically, there have been two ways to measure magnet strength- the pull test and through the use of an electronic device known as a Gauss meter. The pull test method is used to determine the relative strength of a magnet by approximating the holding force through the use of a scale and spacers. This method is not quantitative, presents a pinch hazard for operators, and is generally not accepted by 3^rd party auditors.

While the pull test method has been used since the 1960s, recent improvement in microelectronics have brought economical, portable gauss meters to market. A gauss meter is an electronic instrument that measure the number of lines of magnetic flux emanating from a magnet. A gauss, as alluded to previously, is the number of magnetic flux lines per square centimeter. Gauss meters are definitive, accurate, and repeatable. They can also be calibrated by instruments traceable to NIST and in accordance with accepted ISO standards. Gauss meters are also capable of taking measurements of over 10,000 gauss, which is common with the rare earth magnets used in modern Mag Traps.

Due to increasing food safety concerns and requirements by 3^rd party auditors, third party mag trap verification has become an increasing request from out customers. In response to this need, Holland has incorporated gauss meter testing and mag trap verification into our already robust quality and calibration programs. Holland offers digital gauss readings and verification both on at our facility or at our customer’s facility using our in-house DC gauss meter.
Verification starts with visual inspection of trap elements for and signs of pitting, cracking, or other wear to ensure the magnets are intact, followed by measurement of all magnetic probes with a DC gauss meter. Due to our close relationship with several mag trap OEMs, including Cesco, we’re able to reference our readings to the measurements taken when the unit shipped to ensure the magnets are still performing like new. Following testing, we provide a certificate of verification and include meter calibration certs in the turn over package as well.

As mentioned above, we are proud to offer this service both at our facility or our customer’s and we’ve traveled as far as Trinidad and Tobago to do on site testing. If you have any additional questions about our Magnetic Trap verification service offerings, please contact a Holland Sales Engineer today.