Food & beverage
top 3 challenges in the Food and drink sector…
...and how to ensure your bearings meet them
By Alan Stewart, Rubix Bearing product manager – SKF Products I 20
n the food and drink sector, bearings are subject to some of the most demanding environments to be found, required to perform across a wide range of temperatures, subject to frequent washdowns and guided by
ever more stringent regulations; and, of course, you have cost considerations. As with any component, you want your
bearings to provide long, trouble free performance. To maximise lifetime expectancy, the bearing must be correctly installed, lubricated and maintained. It also vitally important to select the correct bearing for the application at hand which, in the food and drink sector, is constrained because of the tough conditions and requires careful consideration. Here we look at the top three challenges faced in this sector and suitable bearing options to meet those challenges.
Food SaFety Contamination prevention is a top priority. In the UK alone, food safety recalls have increased by over a third, according to FSA data. Interestingly, bearings manufacturer SKF did an extensive test behind and around mounted bearing units in a typical food processing setting to identify levels of contaminants and where they are to be typically found. They discovered contaminant levels to be high, even after washdown; in some cases contaminant
levels actually increased after washdown. Similar results were found in bearings end covers. The food residue gets trapped behind the bearing mounting unit and inside the cavity through the shaft gap during processing and pressure cleaning. It does not dry so fosters growth of bacteria. These bacteria can spread in multiple ways, lingering in the air for several hours and then settling on equipment post disinfection stage; getting stuck in the bearings grease; and, worryingly, actually distributed by the washing process itself. There are three important aspects to focus
on when it comes to contamination prevention in bearings: hygienic design of the bearing unit, food safe sealing materials and lubrication strategy. As we have seen in the SKF test,
contamination can be found behind and around mounted bearing units and in end covers, which washdowns are not always able to remove. Prevention is better than cure, so selecting a unit that has been designed with hygienic geometry of the housings reduces potential contamination traps. Look for a housing which has no crevices or recesses where soiling and bacteria might accumulate and has extremely smooth angled surfaces to promote self-draining and improve hygiene at washdowns. When it comes to seals, you want a back seal that seals statically against the housing and dynamically against the shaft, and
an end cover that fully seals against the housing on the front side, preventing process material from entering the bearing, effectively sealing the unit off. In terms of the materials used, high-grade stainless-steel bearing rings, rolling elements and seal backing plate are idea for the food and drink sector. Bearing seals both prevent contaminants
from entering the bearing unit, which will reduce bearing life expectancy, whilst keeping lubricants from leaking out. No matter how well made a seal is, ultimately it will start to suffer from wear and tear and pieces of that seal could break off and enter your process and product. A simple, cost-effective solution is the use of rubber seals coloured blue for optical detectability, complying with FDA and EC recommendations.
Winter 2022 UKManufacturing
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
