Garrett PD6500i Walk-Through Metal Detector (supplied by Autoclear / Fed-Labs)

The Garrett PD6500i is a walk-through metal detector (WTMD) distributed by Autoclear through its Federal Laboratories (Fed-Labs) division, which has supplied digital metal detection equipment since Autoclear's 1989 acquisition of the Federal Laboratories CheckGate division. The PD6500i is one of the most widely certified WTMDs in the global civil aviation security inventory, holding simultaneous qualification from TSA (United States), ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference), STAC (French DGAC), and Aena (Spain) — a combination that satisfies procurement requirements across the majority of commercial aviation markets including GCC regulators operating under ICAO Annex 17-aligned programmes. The detection architecture uses 33 independent sensor zones arranged in a 3 × 11 (horizontal × vertical) matrix, with each panel housing both transmitter and receiver coils. This effectively creates two detectors within a single archway, achieving the field uniformity needed to locate a detected object to a specific height and lateral position — an important factor in directing the secondary pat-down search and reducing unnecessary passenger delays. The system offers 16 programmable operating programmes, including TSA Enhanced Metal Detector (EMD) specification settings, allowing a single unit to be reconfigured for different sensitivity profiles without hardware changes. IP55-rated weatherproof construction and an operating temperature range of −20 °C to +70 °C make the PD6500i suitable for outdoor or semi-exposed security perimeters common at GCC terminal expansions, temporary event screening, and ramp access control points. The optional 14 Ah lithium battery pack provides up to 10 hours of cordless operation — useful for pop-up screening locations or primary power interruption scenarios.