Whether you’re food manufacturing business is new and now you’re considering adding a food metal detector or you’re an established food manufacturer looking for an emergency rental to replace a system that has failed, it’s important to be careful and consider the following:
If Metal Detection is New to You
Understanding your application versus what your renting is key. Learning from the ground up is going to be difficult without a basis of experience. The most important path is work with a trusted credible source. Metal detector rental businesses are operated by individual, generic packaging companies, used equipment dealers but most ironically, the actual metal detector companies themselves seldomly rent their equipment. Metal detector companies typically build their systems to sell. That said, qualified sources and some metal detector companies are out there. If when you’re looking to rent, you’re finding that you’re not being asked detailed questions about your application or what you want to achieve in your inspection, then you’re not working with a qualified source. Renting from an unqualified source can lead to failed results in your inspection or generally a poor and disappointing experience.
If You’re in an Established Food Process in an Emergency Situation
Being established and having experience with metal detectors doesn’t guarantee that you’ll achieve success in getting a rental metal detector in place. Emergency situations where you need a rental typically means you’re running your food operation, and your current metal detector fails. This is a high-pressure situation where you will tend to ‘leap from you look’. Renting a replacement metal detector from your original trusted supplier may not be possible forcing you to consider other sources. Unlike a new food processor, you may have the experience in using a metal detector and understand the application, but it’s vital that you proceed in a systematic fashion in the same way that you would if you’re buying the solution. And the best way to ensure results is to submit your food samples for testing and have a report generated to ensure inspection results can be met. Even though this adds time to the process, it may save much more time, aggravation and disappointment if not done.
Other Key Things to Keep in Mind When Considering to Rent
- Even though you won’t be owning it, you’ll be owning the results. Ensure that you have a comprehensive rental agreement that includes technical service with a guarantee of service response.
- The rental metal detector is built to accommodate your manufacturing environment and you don’t end up damaging it leading to an expense build (putting a non-washdown unit in your wash-down environment)
- Negotiate a purchase option in the rental agreement (if you decide to keep it for a long period of time, it might make sense to purchase it at some point during the rental).
- Consider the operation warrantee and if service and parts are included if you need them.