As the global health crisis and post-pandemic recovery evolves, the need for remote product testing and support is ongoing. To meet the needs of food and beverage manufacturers, Eagle Product Inspection is continuing its remote services, which were offered before the pandemic and amplified during COVID-19.

Those services include remote options for product analysis and application specifications conducted before a machine is purchased and installed. During the decision-making process, Eagle’s experts can discuss applications in a group video conference and conduct virtual pre-testing to demonstrate the machine’s effectiveness based on a manufacturer’s products and specifications. Testing can be live-streamed so customers can watch the process in real time.

In the absence of in-person visits due to the pandemic, remote Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) is available to ensure that a machine is running properly and in line with a customer’s needs and operations, before it is shipped to its final location. “Having this resource allows customers to see their application firsthand and have confidence that what they have purchased will perform at their plant. It is a service that will remain post-COVID,” said Travis Ratcliff, Service Manager for North America. Eagle has invested in new technologies, such as advanced video equipment, to offer such services, according to Ratcliff.

Following installation, Eagle offers a program called REACH Remote Support Solutions for 24/7/365 off-site support. Those solutions encompass remote monitoring and diagnostics for troubleshooting and for any critical operational issues, enabled via an x-ray machine’s remote access software. Virtual training programs have been extended, too, and include required and regulated safety training and support.

In addition to remote services that accommodate manufacturers’ needs, Eagle offers in-person visits for critical circumstances, with its safety engineers following a range of stringent safety protocols. “We have many regionally-based technicians who can visit customers by car and conduct safe in-person visits. It’s something we’ve done for many customers,” says Ratcliff. 

Given the fluid and often-changing global situation, Eagle will offer and evolve its remote testing and services throughout 2021 and into 2022.

To learn more and to view a recent “Eagle Speaks” webinar on “Automation, Traceability and Remote Options: Advanced X-ray Inspection for a New Era of Food Safety,” visit https://www.eaglepi.com/eagle-speaks-2021/.