How Do Metal Detectors Work?

Metal detectors are devices used for detecting metallic objects from the soil, folks, or cargo.

Metallic objects can be treasures buried underground, dropped pieces of aluminum, jewellery or valuable coins. Metal detectors satisfy all needs in humanitarian, commercial and security fields. Information on how metal detectors work helps folks to use metal detectors more effectively.

The search coil is also called search head, loop or antenna. The stabilizer provides fantastic stability for metal detectors in use. It is placed near the hand grip area. The control box is the brain of a metal detector. It is adjustable and can be set at a level according to the height of the user.

When it enters the ground, the metal objects below the ground become charged with magnetism. Some modern metal detectors display the type of metal found below the ground. They also inform how deep the metallic objects are located.

The various technologies employed in metal detectors are awfully low frequency (VLF), Pulse Induction (PI) and Beat-frequency oscillation (BFO). VLF technology, also called induction balance, is perhaps the most popular detector technology nowadays. It is highly successful in detecting anything metallic and uses two coils, a transmitter is very successful In this case, a sine wave is transmitted with one coil and received with the other. Compared to VLF technology, pulse induction and beat-frequency oscillation are more complicated. They can be operated in detecting very small objects.