Product Handling Systems
Product and process specifications must be taken into consideration when designing the shield and product handling system for E-beam and X-ray processing.
During this design process, there is rarely a standard or typical configuration that is implemented. Our Mevex Equipment professionals support Customers through this process and can assist with critical decisions such as:
- How to handle products
- How to transport products to the irradiation area
- How to present products to the radiation source
- How to integrate the irradiation system with other production and storage processes
The Mevex Equipment offering also supplies and integrates automation of product handling with Customer production lines.
What are the traditional shield configurations?
In-house: These end-of-line systems typically employ a combination of steel and concrete shielding with a footprint of 150 m2 to 200 m2 and are often installed in an existing building. This configuration allows for the continuous operation of linear accelerators (linacs) with E-beam energies in the range of 4 to 7 MeV, and a material handling system tailored for products in boxes or on trays.
Dedicated irradiation facilities: These installations employ concrete shielding with a footprint of at least 350 m2. The concrete shielding is specifically designed to accommodate the energy, power, and modality of the linac system that will be delivered to the facility. Additionally, the product handling system is tailored for products in boxes, on trays, or on pallets.
Are custom solution designs available?
The Mevex Equipment offering includes custom designed systems for specific applications, such as the phytosanitary treatment of food or materials research.
| Box handling | Pallet handling | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box conveyor-compact shield | Box conveyor | Tote transport system | Pallet system |
| – E-beam | – E-beam | – E-beam | – X-ray |
| – Boxes or trays | – Boxes or trays | – Boxes or trays | – Pallets |
| – Shield ~150 m² footprint – Steel shield |
– Shield from 320m² to 350 m² footprint – Concrete shield |
– Shield ~500 m² footprint – Concrete shield |
– Shield ~900 m² footprint – Concrete shield |
| – 1 Linac – Medium capacity |
– 1 or 2 Linacs – High capacity |
– 1 or 2 Linacs – High capacity |
– 1 or 2 Linacs – High capacity |
| Options: – 23 cm or 33 cm box height – Single or double-sided product exposure |
Options: – Single or double-sided product exposure – Vertical or Horizontal beam – X-ray converter |
Options: – Single or double-sided product exposure – Horizontal beam – X-ray converter |
Options: – E-beam processing for boxes in totes – 1 or 2 rows of pallets – 1 or 2 levels of pallets |
| Common applications: – Sterilization, cannabis processing – Homogenous low-density products |
Common applications: – Sterilization – Homogenous low-density products |
Common applications: – Sterilization – Homogenous low-density products, including fragile products |
Common applications: – Sterilization, food processing – High density or pallet packaged products |