Abstract: A test apparatus for challenging contaminant monitoring apparatus. The test apparatus includes contaminant provisions having a pre-selected property including any one or more of the group including composition, material, mass, size and/or shape of a contaminant. The test apparatus also includes identification provisions for identifying the presence of the contaminant provisions and/or for identifying the identity of the test apparatus. The contaminant provisions and the identification provisions are detectable and/or discriminateable by X-rays.

Abstract: A method for detecting defects in a product (10), such as food packaging, having a range of thicknesses of cross-section through which detection will take place; the method comprising: scanning the product (10), with for instance x-rays, to identify one or more light regions, and one or more dense regions of the product; and creating a first signal path and a second signal path from a single set of scanning data, and conditioning: the first signal path for detection of defects in the one or more dense regions; and the second signal path for detection of defects (14a, 14b, 14c) in the one or more light regions. Advantageously, detection of defects in the contents (dense region) of a product and the seal (light region) of the product is conducted simultaneously.

Abstract: A test apparatus for challenging contaminant monitoring apparatus. The test apparatus includes contaminant provisions having a pre-selected property including any one or more of the group including composition, material, mass, size and/or shape of a contaminant. The test apparatus also includes identification provisions for identifying the presence of the contaminant provisions and/or for identifying the identity of the test apparatus. The contaminant provisions and the identification provisions are detectable and/or discriminateable by X-rays.

Abstract: A method for optimising detector performance in a dual-energy detector system including high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection. The method includes one or more steps from a group including: utilising different scanning rates for high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection; utilising different integration times for high-energy Xray detection and low-energy X-ray detection; and/or utilising different diode sizes for high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection.