Security Metal Detectors Information and Historical Events
Today we are going through walk-through metal detectors to enter courtrooms, airports, and even in concert halls. But back in the 1920’s the first walk-through metal detectors were not invented to find weapons. They were invented to detect stolen metal objects. The first walk-through metal detectors date back to the 19th century, but in the 1920s, two scientists in Germany devised a way to detect stolen machine objects in factory workers without having to exercise physical control in each working one by one.
In the mid-1920s, H. Geffchen and H. Richter of Leipzig devised the walk-through metal detector – their “radio detective” – for a large manufacturing plant in Germany. Without any physical contact, their invention “made an effective search for every person leaving the premises” and decided “with certainty and instantness if he brings with him any object of a metal character”. There is no longer annoying body control and a waste of time that leaves room for errors.
The April 1926 issue of Radio News brought an illustration of the device on their cover, which reads, “Radio Frequency Detector Detects Thieves.” The magazine explained that workers were passing through the machine one by one, as one attendant was watching with a headset listening and waiting for the metal detector to sound a warning sound.
In the picture that accompanies this article, the amplifier device that generates the oscillation of the sound frequency appears right on the window. The attendant standing next to the device wears the phone headset, which is connected to the two circuits as described and notes the change of sound, if any, as each passes. The degree of sensitivity to the presence of metal, achieved with the use of this device, is astonishing.
The article writer for Radio News noted that even the smallest metallic objects are collected by the invention of the Germans:
Even clocks and keys can be detected with certainty. In practice, the device will be set to a smaller sensitivity scale so that smaller pieces of metal do not need to cause signals on the headphones. In order to prevent the detector from functioning incorrectly by the presence of receptacles with a meal, a thermal bottle or other objects of the workers, a shelf is provided at the side of the counter, as shown. The worker leaves any metal objects before passing through the metal detector and then returns to get them before leaving the main gate.
The article continues to explain that if the metal detector has been deactivated, the attendant will use a hand-held metal detector in the person to determine if he or she is hiding something. If the detector warns of an excessive amount of metal in a person passing through the gate, then he can search with more caution. For this purpose, a small search coil is provided, which operates similarly to the larger circuit. By moving this coil, above the person’s body, the position of any metal piece is precisely determined in a moment. This auxiliary coil can be so sensitive that it can respond with certainty not only to the coins in the pockets but also to the metal zippers or to the teeth of the teeth without touching the person you are detecting.
But it was not the first time that suspected employers exploited the latest technological breakthrough to inspect their employees. Back in 1919, a South African diamond mine, began to use X-rays to search for diamond workers who may have hidden in body cavities.
Understanding and selecting security metal detectors
For any large space or installation, with the need for extra security, a magnetic gate is an invaluable tool. It allows security teams to ensure that no metal object can enter or leave the building without first locating it. A walk-through metal detector can guarantee governments, businesses, organizers and everyone else that their facilities are safe and secure.
It is important to consider the two different types of metal detectors. The first type of metal detectors over time provides one zone detection, meaning it can detect targets in one place in the human body. The second way of detecting passage metals provides multiple detection zones, meaning that it can detect targets at more than one site in the human body. Both types of detectors will be able to detect the target, but the multi-zone detector will be able to accurately determine the location of the target.
The most advanced multi-zone metal detectors can detect from head to finger and from left to right to one person. The ability to accurately locate the target position is important so that a security team can respond quickly and effectively. Larger businesses with increased staff will require more people and a multi-zone metal detector will allow security teams to process people faster.
Because they can move more people through faster security checkpoints, walk-through metal detectors are no longer only in prisons, embassies and airports. Today, walk-through metal detectors exist in police stations, schools, nightclubs, government buildings, companies, production facilities, nuclear facilities, transport terminals, warehouses, courts, historical monuments, arenas and concerts. Certain walk-through metal detectors are lighter and portable so they can be easily moved from one place to another.
Most modern metal detectors are easy to install and operate. They come with a detailed instruction manual and a video to help security teams install them more efficiently. Settings on these devices can only be done at the touch of a button via a touch screen and LCD screen. Transit metal detectors come with a predefined factory program and can be adapted to meet the needs of a particular location or object type to be found. The detector can also be configured to detect a variety of target signals based on a selected sensitivity level.
Controlling the traffic to the walk-through metal detector and ensuring that people easily find their way to the device is important for the security of the building. Security teams want to make sure that the signs and ropes of the lines guide people to the device. Having a basket or tray placed next to the metal detector, people can move faster, allowing a smoother line. It’s also a good idea to make sure that people remove and place objects such as watches, keys, coins, bands and any other large metal objects in the baskets so that the device does not cause false signals.
Walk-through metal detectors, in general, are a large projection device. After identifying a person who has a hidden object, it is necessary to use a security detector to accurately locate his / her location. The handheld detector will allow security personnel to find the item quickly and sometimes discreetly either by sound, light and / or vibration alert.
The existence of a system such as the walk-through metal detector is necessary for the safety of an installation. They are easy to use and make security views more effective as well as more affordable. In conjunction with a handheld detector, the metal detector is a powerful tool for building and safety installations.
Are there any health concerns?
Portable handheld detectors help reduce and collect unwanted objects. There are times when both types of detectors are used, as the electromagnetic fields vary. Magnetic gates may have higher frequency capabilities in detecting different metals, some wondering if they pose any health risk. For the most part, the technical aspects of such metal detector devices will not harm you and are still safe for pregnant women.
People with medical devices are also safe. There are some reports of certain devices that interact with the magnetic field or detector frequency when you walk through it (auxiliary handset or pacemaker). These reports showed that they did not create any health problems at all.
