INDUSTRY FOCUS FOOD & BEVERAGE
Maximising production efficiencies in food and beverage plants
By selecting, maintaining and monitoring critical components inside rotating plant and machines such as gearboxes, electric motors, pumps and fans, food and beverage processing companies can improve their plant efficiencies, eliminate production downtime and increase the operating life and reliability of plant equipment, says Dr Steve Lacey, engineering manager at Schaeffler UK
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n food and beverage processing, production is typically based on highly automated, fast moving processes and systems, where every second of production counts. In these operating environments, the cost of production downtime can equate to hundreds of thousands of pounds per day. Total maintenance costs for a typical food or beverage manufacturer are around 15-20 per cent of total costs. Although maintenance departments are set up to deal with problems like these, often, because of time and resource constraints, maintenance becomes reactive, with problems around the plant dealt with as they occur rather than in a proactive, planned manner. Condition monitoring (CM) prevents the unnecessary replacement of components and the subsequent introduction of possible new and unrelated problems. Maintenance teams can benefit from the use of CM technology to predict when failures are likely to occur and plan replacement during production shutdowns. In too many companies, components are replaced on a time basis rather than on a condition basis because this is considered to be the safest option. However, there are numerous technology safeguards available which, when compared to the cost of lost production, are relatively inexpensive. These safeguards use the latest CM technologies and predictive maintenance systems, including vibration monitoring, wear monitoring and automatic lubrication to protect plant and machines.
INTELLIGENT MONITORING FAG SmartCheck is a compact condition monitoring device from Schaeffler that is suitable for the online monitoring of process-critical plant and machinery,
12 OCTOBER 2015 | AUTOMATION
For food and beverage processing, legal and environmental factors must be considered when selecting a grease
including motors, drives, pumps, HVAC systems and gearboxes. The device can be used to monitor
vibration and temperature, as well as a range of other machine and process- specific parameters. By monitoring these parameters, users are provided with a broad basis of information in real time, which enables the accurate assessment of machine condition.
FAG SmartCheck is a compact condition monitoring device from Schaeffler
BELOW: FAG SmartCheck on a conveyor belt
INSET: Schaeffler’s ARCANOL range of lubricants includes 17 different greases
MULTI-POINT LUBRICATORS For food or beverage processing lines where machine uptime is critical, multi- point lubrication systems can be installed, which automatically supply lubricant to rolling bearings without the need for manual intervention. FAG CONCEPT8, for example, is a cost
effective multi-point lubricator from Schaeffler that ensures a constant, optimum supply of grease to rolling bearings. The system is suitable for a wide range of industrial applications, including pumps, fans, compressors, gearboxes and electric motors.
BEARINGS FOR EVERY APPLICATION For food, beverage and packaging machine applications, Schaeffler offers a wide range of robust, reliable bearings, which can all
be corrosion protected, sealed and lubricated for life for continuous operation.
HOUSING UNITS Housing units are found in many food and beverage processing lines, from materials handling systems to conveyor belt drives, pumps and fans. Schaeffler’s range of housing units now
includes units manufactured to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). In terms of their boundary dimensions, mounting and lubrication, the housing units can be considered as direct replacements for many Far Eastern equivalents.
GREASE SELECTION Selecting the correct lubricant is a critical factor in ensuring the functional reliability and optimum operating life of a rolling bearing. Failure statistics show that a significant proportion of premature rolling bearing failures are directly or indirectly related to the lubricant used. The main causes of failure here are unsuitable lubricants (20 per cent), aged lubricants (20 per cent) and insufficient lubrication (15 per cent). For food and beverage processing
companies, legal and environmental factors must be considered when selecting a suitable grease. A worldwide standard that can be used is approval in accordance with the NSF (National Sanitary Foundation) H1 or H2. A lubricant with the code H1 (food- grade) may be used where occasional, technically unavoidable contact with foodstuffs cannot be eliminated. H2 lubricants are intended for general use within the food processing industry where no contact with foodstuffs occurs.
Schaeffler (UK) T: 0121 313 5870
www.schaeffler.co.uk
/AUTOMATION
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