DS-SEP22-PG30_Layout 1 20/09/2022 14:30 Page 1


FEATURE BEARINGS & LINEAR MOTION


Food-grade bearings: your secret ingredient


With food and beverage processors striving to


ensure that food safety is designed into their production systems, SKF is offering food-grade bearings to meet application demands. David Oliver, UK platform manager – industry manager – Food and Beverage, SKF, comments


T


he food and beverage sector is being squeezed from all sides. Energy costs and raw material prices are sky high, and an


historically tight labour market is making it tougher than ever to recruit and retain staff. This is pushing input costs up, while price competition in most segments is as intense as ever – and consumers are still insisting on a consistent, high-quality product, with nobody willing to compromise on safety. In such a demanding environment, food


companies need to keep production costs down through improvements to throughput and productivity, but without sacrificing their high standards of hygiene and tight process control. Safe, regulatory-compliant food production


requires a multi-level approach. That includes appropriate facilities and equipment, robust and properly enforced operating and maintenance procedures, and effective monitoring and quality assurance. Wherever they can, however, food and beverage processors strive to ensure that food safety is designed into their production systems.


Food line ball bearings units


At SKF, our objective is to help our customers improve productivity, minimise maintenance, achieve higher energy and resource efficiency, and optimise designs for long service life and reliability. We have been involved in the food industry for decades, working closely with equipment manufacturers and end users to develop solutions that meet their evolving needs. SKF Food Line Ball Bearing Units – Blue


Range, for example, use special materials to resist corrosion, and advanced seal technology to retain lubricant safely within the bearing during washdowns. Our Food Line Blue Range composite housings are manufactured with no unnecessary crevices or pockets where debris or bacteria can accumulate.


end-to-end hygiene


One key trend that we have observed recently across the industry is the desire to adopt food safe principles across every part of a production


0


facility. Users know that contamination can occur anywhere, and that includes in pre- and post-processing as well as core production activities. In one recent SKF survey of food and beverage producers and OEMs, more than 90% of respondents told us that they wanted to use food-grade bearings throughout their facilities. Until recently, however, many of our customers


simply couldn’t afford the extra cost of specialised food-grade components in non-core areas such as sorting, handling, and packaging machinery. That led SKF to develop a new range of bearings that makes key features of our Food Line technologies available in a more accessible, lower-cost package.


the perFect balance


On the outside, the new SKF Food Line ball bearings for non-corrosive environments use our high-efficiency RSH contact seal, which excludes water and contaminants while retaining lubricant. These seals are manufactured from an EC and FDA approved nitrile rubber in a blue colour that makes it easy to identify fragments if they enter the food stream. Inside, the new bearings are lubricated with


our specially developed high-performance food-grade grease. Registered as a category H1 product, this grease is designed to be safe in the event of incidental contact with food. It is allergen-free and certified to meet Halal and Kosher standards. Furthermore, at its core, the bearing is manufactured to the exacting standards of SKF’s proven Explorer class, a design that offers reduced friction, higher load tolerance and an extended service life. While safety and hygiene were key


priorities for our engineers, the new range of bearings was also designed with productivity in mind. Under most conditions, the factory-filled grease is sufficient to lubricate the bearing for its full rating life. That means no costly and time-consuming relubrication operations, and no need to dispose of old lubricant or


3 DESIGN SOLUTIONS SEPTEMBER 2022


grease-contaminated cleaning equipment. The availability of SKF Food Line ball


bearings for non-corrosive environments means food and beverage companies no longer have to compromise. They can specify high quality, long lasting and safe components, from end to end in their facilities.


SKF www.skf.com


“In one recent SKF survey of food and beverage producers and OEMs, more than 90% of


respondents told us that they wanted to use food-grade bearings


throughout their facilities”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60