by Denise Sullivan Denise Sullivan 1 Comment

Navigating Sealing Challenges in Food and Dairy Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide

Maintaining stringent hygiene standards and ensuring product safety are paramount in the food and dairy industries. One critical aspect that plays a vital role in achieving these goals is equipment sealing. Effective sealing solutions prevent contamination, ensure operational efficiency, and comply with regulatory standards. However, the unique challenges posed by these industries require specialized solutions. This blog post will explore the common sealing challenges faced in food and dairy equipment and discuss strategies to overcome them.

food and dairy equipment

The Importance of Proper Sealing in Food and Dairy Equipment

Seals are essential in food and dairy equipment, preventing leaks, contamination, and equipment failure. Given the sensitive nature of these industries, seals must adhere to strict regulations set forth by bodies such as the FDA and the EU. Proper sealing not only ensures the quality and safety of food products but also extends the lifespan of the equipment and reduces maintenance costs.

Common Sealing Challenges in Food and Dairy Equipment

1. Temperature Extremes

Food and dairy processing often involves exposure to extreme temperatures, from the high heat used in pasteurization to the low temperatures required for storage. Seals must withstand these temperature fluctuations without degrading or losing their effectiveness.

Solution: Use materials like PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) and silicone, which are highly thermal stable and can maintain their sealing properties across a wide temperature range.

2. Chemical Exposure

Cleaning and sanitization processes in the food and dairy industries use harsh chemicals. Seals must resist degradation caused by frequent exposure to cleaning agents, acids, and other chemicals.

Solution: Opt for chemically resistant materials such as EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), FKM (Fluoroelastomer), or PTFE, which offer excellent resistance to various chemicals.

3. Wear and Tear

Food and dairy equipment seals are subject to constant motion and friction, leading to wear and tear over time. This can compromise the seal’s integrity and result in leaks or contamination.

Solution: Utilize high-performance materials like UHMW-PE (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) or PTFE, known for their low friction and high wear resistance, ensuring longer seal life and reliability.

4. Hygiene and Cleanability

Maintaining hygienic conditions is crucial in food and dairy processing. Seals must be easy to clean and not harbor bacteria or other contaminants.

Solution: Choose non-porous, easy-to-clean materials like PTFE and silicone. Additionally, seals should be designed to minimize crevices where bacteria can accumulate.

5. Regulatory Compliance

Seals must comply with stringent regulatory standards to ensure food safety. This includes FDA, EU, and other international standards that dictate material composition and performance.

Solution: Ensure all sealing materials are certified and compliant with relevant industry standards. Regularly review and update materials and designs to meet evolving regulations.

Innovative Sealing Solutions for Food and Dairy Equipment

  1. Encapsulated O-rings: Encapsulated O-rings combine a PTFE jacket’s chemical resistance with the rubber core’s elasticity, providing an effective seal in challenging environments.
  2. Sanitary Gaskets: Designed to meet strict hygiene standards, sanitary gaskets made from materials like silicone or PTFE offer excellent sealing performance while being easy to clean and maintain.
  3. Spring-Energized Seals: These seals are ideal for dynamic applications requiring high wear resistance. The spring component ensures consistent sealing pressure even under varying conditions.

Sealing challenges in the food and dairy industries require specialized solutions that address temperature extremes, chemical exposure, wear and tear, hygiene, and regulatory compliance. Manufacturers can ensure their equipment’s safety, efficiency, and longevity by selecting suitable materials and designs. As the industry evolves, staying abreast of the latest sealing technologies and standards will be crucial for maintaining high-quality production and protecting consumer health.

For more information on advanced sealing solutions for food and dairy equipment, contact our experts at Advanced EMC Technologies. We are committed to providing innovative and reliable sealing solutions tailored to your needs.

PVDF is used extensively in pumps, valves, fittings, and pipes
by Sara McCaslin, PhD Sara McCaslin, PhD No Comments

The Basics of PVDF

Kynar PVDF (property of Arkema) is a high purity polymer that combines extreme-temperature performance, easy manufacturability, and durability in some of the harshest environments. 

What is PVDF?

PVDF (polyvinylidene difluoride or polyvinyl fluoride) is a fluorinated thermoplastic resin that is classified as a specialty polymer whose brand names include Kynar (Arkema), KF (Kureha), and Solef or Hylar (Solvay). This engineering polymer can often be found in environments that involve high purity, hot acid, extremely high temperatures, and/or radiation. 

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Fluoropolymers in the Food Industry
by Jackie Johnson Jackie Johnson No Comments

Fluoropolymers in the Food Industry

High-performance fluoropolymers are incredibly vital for use in food and drink manufacturing industries. Setting them apart from general-purpose plastic such as PVC and PE, fluoroplastics enjoy a range of unique properties:

  • Thermal: Resistant to very low and very high working temperatures
  • Chemical: Total resistance to chemicals and solvents
  • Mechanical: Low friction, non-stick characteristics and tensile strength
  • Environmental: Resistant to weather, UV light and corrosion
  • Health: Non-toxic and high purity

Fluoropolymers such as PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) and PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy Alkane) bring an abundance of benefits to the food and drink production, from cooking equipment to food coverings, conveyor belt rollers, UV lamp coatings, temperature sensor casing and non-stick surface covers. Because of this, fluoropolymers have kept products uncontaminated, workers safe and production running smoothly for years now.

In this week’s blog post, we will discuss the various ways the fluoropolymers are used in the food industry.

Beverage Dispensing

The requirement for a biologically harmless tubing product coupled with intermittent high temperatures over a long period of time present a challenge for hot beverage dispensing machines. Fluoropolymers such as PTFE and FEP are used as a tried and tested, FDA, NSF and EU compliant solution. Build of residue is greatly reduced due to the smooth internal surfaces provided by fluoropolymer materials. Not only are they FDA compliant, but they are low maintenance as well!

Food Packaging

In packaging and processing food, it is extremely important that the materials used are safe. As such, fluoropolymers such as PVDF, or Polyvinylidene Fluoride Fluoropolymer, are highly regarded in the food packaging industry for a variety of reasons. First, they are incredibly stable materials, and highly resistant to most chemicals, mineral acids, organic acids and other food preservatives. In addition, they are non-toxic and resistant to bacterial and fungi growth.

PVDF is particularly useful in food processing industry due to its unique chemical resistance when temperatures go as high as 300 degrees Fahrenheit (or around 149 degrees Celsius).

PTFE Coatings

With the invention of PTFE, also known as Teflon, non-stick and low friction coatings have played a vital role across the food industry.

For years, PTFE has been used as a coating for cooking applications where particularly sticky or abrasive products are used, such as commercial waffle irons, bread pans, mixers and beaters, hoppers, dough rollers and blades. This allows them to function much more effectively, and the use of oils or other release agents can be substantially reduced or even eliminated.

With ease of use also comes ease of cleaning, and PTFE coating can reduce the intensity and frequency of the cleaning process. It also acts as a hygienic barrier between the food and the surface of the component. These combined save significant employee time and effort, which ultimately reduces labor costs, saving both time AND money.

Belt Conveyors

In the cooking and food processing industries, belts and conveyers made with PTFE coatings are used for mass-produced foods such as bacon, chicken, hamburgers and eggs.

Because of its nonstick properties, the PTFE coating allows food to easily come off, with little mess. This facilitates a high volume of production for commercial food processors.

Industrial Bakeware

Fluoropolymer coatings assure high-quality coating solutions for bakeware used by industrial bakeries. This helps bakeries not only drive efficiency, but also improve the hygiene and safety of their operations. It also improves the quality of the final baked product, with less waste and less butter and/or grease used to keep the product from sticking to the pan.

Home Cookware Manufacturing

We have talked about how fluoropolymers are across the commercial industry, but they are just as equally prevalent in our homes as well.

The use of nonstick pans has been popular in homes since the 1950s, when a French engineer begun coating his fishing gear with Teflon to prevent tangles. His wife then suggested using the same method to coat her cooking pans. In 1956 the Tefal company was formed and began manufacturing non-stick pans.

And nonstick cookware is popular to manufacture as they can be machined and coated relatively easily.

Other Uses

As discussed, fluoropolymers have many uses in the food industry, and many more that we did not cover. Some of these include

  • Shatterproof Coatings for Heat Lamps
  • Encapsulated Temperature Sensors
  • FEP Roll Covers
  • Laser Marked and Printed Tubes for Identification
  • And more!

In Conclusion

With the strength and versatility of fluoropolymers, it is no wonder that it is such a popular material within the food and drink industries.

Because of its high temperature and chemical resistance, nonstick and non-toxic surface, many health organizations have recognized it’s inherit value and, as such, have made fluoropolymers the gold standard within the food industry.

To learn more about fluoropolymers, visit our page by clicking the link here. And if you need PTFE sealing solutions, contact us today!

Food Processing
by Sara McCaslin, PhD Sara McCaslin, PhD No Comments

Why PTFE Rotary Shaft Seals Are a Great Choice for Food Processing Applications

While there are several options when it comes to approved polymeric or elastomeric seals for food processing applications, PTFE is one of the more popular choices–and that includes rotary shaft seals, as well.

Why are PTFE rotary shaft seals good for food processing applications? Rotary shaft seals for food processing equipment have to do more than an ordinary seal:  they also need to withstand aggressive cleaning and sanitation regimens that may involve corrosive chemicals, be approved for contact with food, and offer effective, reliable performance. 

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