Metal detector security systems play a big role in providing a secure environment from hand-held wands at clubs or sporting events to scanners in office buildings, schools. Detection technology has been around for much longer time than we knows.
How Metal Detection Devices Do It
Metallic Weapons scanning operates on the principle of electro-magnetics. Metallic Weapons detectors use the battery current to create a magnetic field which scans the immediate area.
The fundamental operation of metal detectors is the principle of electromagnetic induction. A metal detector contains one or more inductor coils which are utilized to interact with metallic items. This coil has a part known as a transmitter that uses its battery current to create a magnetic field which interacts with any metal found in the area. The metallic object then is magnetically charged and thus easily detected.
The coil also has a sensitive wire which is a receiver. The receiver reacts to any change in the magnetic field it passes. It is extremely sensitive to recently magnetized material and activates an electrical signal back to the operator.
High quality metal detectors will transmit and receive through most surfaces and alert you to metals which could mean there is a security threat.
Choosing a Metal Detector For Safety
Security metal detectors are designed to provide security in high traffic areas. Hand held metal detectors can be used by themselves or together with walk through metal detectors. Hand held metal detectors are less expensive, radiation free, easy to use, highly sensitive, and need only light tuning.
Recent metal detectors are usually, often completely automated, using microchip technology to let operators adjust sensitivity, discrimination, track speed, threshold volume, notch filters, etc, and hold these settings in memory for frequent use.
Security pros want a fast and versatile device having plenty of features. You should ask about the choice to keep the alarm audible or silent by either providing an earpiece, using vibration or simply bright LED lights to alert you to the presence of metal. Another key concern is the length of your device and the reach of the magnetic field it can create. It is important to be able to scan crowds fast without having to get too close or having to bend over too far to check ankles and feet. Although most weapons are composed of steel but plenty are not. So, you should get a device which can detect ferrous, non-ferrous and stainless steel weapons, tinfoil and other metal objects.
With growing problems regarding weapons detection in our own cities metal detectors appear to be with us to stay.
