Vision on the new Raptor Tritek examines every label top and bottom on every pack as it is being inspected for metal contaminants and weighed.
Meeting food safety, weight compliance and labelling requirements, Fortress Technology unveiled a compact, hygienic and fully integrated metal detector, checkweigher and vision combination food inspection system at Interpack 2026.
Compliance and Industry 4.0-ready, the Raptor Tritek system meets the latest HACCP, BRCGS, GFSI and IFS food safety and hygiene design principles. A distinguishing feature of this 3-in-1 system is its compact footprint. It is at least 40% shorter in length compared to modular combination systems that require individual connection of metal detectors, checkweighers and label vision systems using multiple conveyors and support frames.
By incorporating all three technologies—metal detector, checkweigher and vision inspection—within a single, fully integrated 2.5 metre stainless steel frame, the Fortress Technology Raptor Tritek system saves valuable floor space, enhances operational efficiency and maintains robust food safety standards.
This latest machine has been developed in direct response to calls from food processors for inspection systems that are easy to sanitise, operate and maintain. These requirements were emphasised as essential for food safety in the recent PMMI 2025 Food Safety and Sanitation report.
Strictly adhering to industry hygienic design principles, the new Raptor Tritek combination system distinguishes itself from other 3-in-1 solutions currently available. All three inspection technologies are integrated within a single frame. This design offers production staff unobstructed, easily accessible and cleanable surfaces, significantly reducing the risk of contamination.
“Another notable feature is the system's unique frame structure. Unlike standard-length models, which typically stand on twelve feet, our compact Raptor Tritek stands on only six. By halving the number of floor contact points and threads, the potential for dirt, debris and microorganisms to accumulate is greatly diminished, further enhancing the overall hygiene and safety of the production environment,” emphasises Fortress Technology’s European Sales Director Phil Brown.
Prioritising HACCP metal detection
The Raptor Tritek is designed to inspect a diverse array of packaged food products, including meats, dairy, prepared meals, chilled pizzas, commercial bakery items and confectionery. Inspecting, weighing and checking labels at an average of 150 packs per minute, it meets the demands of high-throughput production environments.
To accommodate various product sizes and production line requirements, the Raptor Tritek is available in four different belt widths - 100 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm and 400 mm. Its modular design, paired with flexible input/output electronics ensure easy integration in existing production lines, connecting to automated filling, portioning and packing machinery.
Another key advantage of the Raptor Tritek is its unique Conveyor Run Only Mode. Unlike other combination systems, this feature guarantees that HACCP metal detection is prioritised even when weight control is not a requirement.
Separate rejects ensure metal contamination and weight rejects are isolated, further minimising food waste. The high performance metal detector automatically compensates for application-specific product effect.
“Checkweighing is essential for quality control. But HACCP stipulates that product should never leave the production facility and be distributed to retailers if not inspected for potential metal contamination,” reports Phil.
Delivering maximum usability and future-ready flexibility
The inclusion of vision provides automated top and bottom label inspection to prevent label-related defects reaching point of sale. Cameras located above and under the conveyor capture a picture of the top and underside label simultaneously as product seamlessly transitions from the checkweighing to outfeed conveyor. “Our integrated vision system uses advanced optical character recognition (OCR) to detect and reject faulty labels, printing errors and poor-quality print in real time,” expands Phil.
For operational ease of use and convenience, the Raptor Tritek is equipped with 500 product settings which can be expanded if required. The metal detection and checkweighing technologies are managed by a single HMI screen featuring simple animations to guide users through start-up procedures and product changeover tests. Clear graphical instructions are provided to help minimise user errors during operation.
Single pass learning enhances productivity and reduces set up times. This rapid calibration feature identifies product effect and automatically adjusts the metal detector settings for accurate inspection results.
The vision system will instantly recognise the label, font and colours, eliminating the need for manual scanning, dragging or typing of product information. The system can automatically identify critical information during the setup process, reducing operational downtime and ensuring all individual packs are validated.
Prepared for all future digital reporting requirements, the Raptor Tritek can securely collate and aggregate production and inspection data. Supporting interoperability, Contact 4.0 provides food processors using Fortress Technology inspection equipment with a means to extract data from different production applications and processes and align to a common reporting structure. The use of OPC UA Adapters can facilitate this. Ethernet/IP Adapters can also be used within the network to aggregate data from multiple combination and inspection machines and route information through centralised data systems.