FEATURE HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS C
oncerns regarding the presence of lead in water supplies to food and
beverage production facilities has driven a raft of local, pan-European and global legislation and guidelines on maximum lead content in water. This means manufacturing and production in the food and beverage sector requires an understanding of the materials that will be in contact with food, and the levels of lead within them. ‘Food contact materials’ are intended
to be in contact with food and beverages in processes ranging from fruit and vegetable growth, harvesting and transportation, to the manufacture of confectionery and beverages, plus sauce, dressing and oil production. Examples include a glass bottle or a soft drinks can, as well as machinery in food factories and its components. More sophisticated packaging means a variety of materials could be in contact with the products at the same time, such as plastic, rubber, paper, aluminium and other coatings. For legislative purposes, areas within production facilities are split into a number of categories, depending on the levels of potential contamination. Food areas are defined as product-contact areas, while splash areas refer to surfaces across which food may splash but will not return to the product being manufactured. Products specified for usage in any of these areas must be washable, disinfectable, corrosion resistant, non-toxic and non-absorbent. Ensuring that water supplies are, as far as possible, lead-free is crucial to guarantee that products leaving the facility do not contain harmful levels of lead.
STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS While a wide range of legislation governs pan-European guidelines on the maximum lead content allowed in water, this varies from country to country. Furthermore, manufacturing requirements and standards are often
Going lead-free in the food and beverage sector
In response to continued concerns and the resulting legislation and guidelines, manufacturers of pneumatic components are under continued pressure to create solutions for the components of water processing equipment which minimise lead content. Dave Whelan of Norgren discusses the requirements and the developments in technology being made to meet them
resistance and does not require the wetted surface calculation. It is, however, generally expensive,
individual and bespoke, and determined by tailoring the best solution to the customer’s requirements. Similarly, the processes and chemicals used for cleaning will vary from plant to plant, although an improved focus on cleaning is pan-European. Regulations to ensure food safety are key, as during the production process, molecules can migrate from the food contact material to the final product. The EU Drinking Water Directive (1998)
lays out the requirements, and is accompanied by the World Health Organisation’s 2006 Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, and the 2011 EU Directive Plastic Materials for Food.
CREATING THE RIGHT SOLUTION Ever more stringent legislation continues to put component manufacturers under pressure to create solutions for processing equipment which minimise lead content. Calculation of likely contamination is generally considered in terms of the area of wetted surfaces which come into contact with metallic materials. In recent years this has driven a
number of key technological breakthroughs in the area of pneumatic system components, each of which perform significantly better in key areas – in particular, in minimising the potential for lead contamination within wetted surface contact areas. Regarded as a very safe option, stainless steel offers strong corrosion
30 MARCH 2014 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS
and question marks remain over the quality of die casting and surface finish achievable. While ‘lead-free’ brass has a
significantly lower lead content than the typical 5% found in leaded brass,
even that, at typically 0.1%, is nowadays still considered excessive. Calculation of the wetted surface is problematic as it applies to the average lead content of the entire wetted system, including all valves, fittings and pipework. Again, there are uncertainties over machinability, with the possibility of cross-contamination within the machining facility, meaning dedicated equipment is needed, while by no means can it be considered a ‘best cost’ option. The most recent innovation in material
Norgren is a supplier of pneumatic motion and fluid control technologies
“The most recent innovation in the
pneumatics sector is a
high-tech polymer. Capable of performing at high
temperatures, this meets all current legislative standards”
development in the pneumatics sector is high-tech polymer. Capable of performing at high temperatures, this requires no wetted system calculation and meets all current legislative standards. A cost-effective option, this can cope
with a variety of challenging operating conditions; meets all pan-European legislative requirements; and can be cost-effectively produced in high volumes, with very tight tolerances in terms of surface finish achievable.
Norgren
www.norgren.com Enter 228
Left: Component
manufacturers are under pressure to create solutions for processing equipment which minimise lead content
/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS
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