Using Contraband Simulators For Portal Metal Detector Testing

Because contraband materials or items are either too dangerous or too expensive, contraband simulators have been widely used to test contraband detection equipment. Very realistic bomb simulators have been used to test x-ray scanners, and common radioactive sources have been used successfully to test the operation of special nuclear material (SNM) radiation detectors. The simulators used to test early metal detectors were also reasonably successful; however, these simulators were rapidly outdated by the introduction of modern active field metal detectors. This paper describes some of the earlier attempts to develop metal detector test simulators. A successful highly enriched uranium (HEU) simulator for metal detector testing is described that has duplicated all the characteristics modern equipment is capable of detecting. The paper also describes the development needed to produce handgun simulators that could be used effectively for metal detector performance testing.