Hygiene-first cables and connectors for the food and beverage industry

The strict hygiene and cleanliness requirements that exist in the food processing industry naturally also apply to any electrical components. The most important requirement is that germs and impurities must not form and come into contact with the product. This is why cables for the food industry, as well as connectors and cable glands, must be able to meet the highest quality requirements.

The strict hygiene regulations for food processing or handling define many complex requirements for electrical components. The cables and accessories used must withstand a wide range of chemical, thermal and mechanical loads and also function perfectly at all times in refrigerated and damp rooms.

In food production, machinery and systems are often cleaned for around 30% of the day. Highly corrosive and aggressive cleaning agents and chemicals are sometimes used to kill as many germs as possible and to prevent impurities. Processing under extreme temperatures is another challenge in wet or refrigerated rooms as well as for heating processes. This means that cables and wires for food production must be resistant to chemical, thermal and mechanical stresses and must be certified in accordance with FDA, ECOLAB or Hygienic Design. This is the only way they can be used in the processing and production areas.

Other essential requirements of the food industry include:

• Resistant to aggressive cleaning agents
• Resistant to bio-oils, fats, fruit and lactic acids
• Temperature resistant
• Waterproof
• Rust-free

Food and beverage production zones

Three zones are defined in food and beverage production. Depending on the zone, the external influences vary in terms of mechanics or temperature.

It’s critical that the right components are selected for the Hygienic Design Zone (also called the Contact Zone), Splash Zone, and Non-Product Zone when constructing the facilities, and that these components are used correctly.  Broadly speaking, the closer a component comes to foodstuffs, the higher the requirements.

Choosing suitable components and their proper use can have direct impacts on the safety of staff and the final product quality — in addition to the importance of minimising downtime, ensuring quality, protecting employees — while these are priorities in all industrial sectors, they are particularly important in food production. This is because in the food and beverage industry, once the processing of perishable food and beverages ceases, it leads to profit losses as well as the additional expense as a result of waste disposal and the need to restart production. At the same time, the consumer’s health is always at risk in this industry.

No germs allowed

LAPP’s SKINTOP® HYGIENIC cable gland is one of the products that meets the most stringent hygienic design requirements. It follows the general design principles of DIN EN 1672-2 for the food industry and is certified according to the latest EHEDG testing.

It does not provide any surfaces for contaminants to attack. All seals are fixed tightly to the cable and connection point with no gaps. Instead of an O-ring, it has a radial moulded seal above the connection thread, a sealing ring below the domed cap nut and a specially formed conduit sealing ring on the cable. It has smooth surfaces and no edges, meaning that remaining food cannot settle there and can easily be washed off. Furthermore, the cable gland meets the ECOLAB requirements relating to resistance to cleaning agents and disinfectants.

Designers of facilities and components do not always need to reinvent the wheel, but when making decisions it is important that they bear the precise operating conditions in mind. Specialised products are not always necessary. Existing mechanical engineering and plant manufacturing products can by all means be used for many applications in the food industry. For example, the classic ÖLFLEX ROBUST, a series of cables that can withstand both machine oils in industrial manufacturing and cleaning agents in food production.

This also applies to a wide selection of accessories and other cables with sheath materials designed by LAPP and made from PVC, TPE and PUR, some of which have also received an ECOLAB certification. Good and comprehensive advice from experts who know the industry is invaluable here.

LAPP’s food and beverage expertise

The food and beverage industry is one of LAPP's key focus industries globally. LAPP has extensive knowledge and expertise in this field and offers a comprehensive range of standard products which meet the most stringent requirements. As cable and connection specialists, LAPP also has solutions developed specifically for the food and beverage industry in its in-house laboratory and test facilities. LAPP has gained a wealth of experience in its international laboratories over the years. Approximately 100 different cleaning agents and more than 700 other substances, such as oils, fats and emulsions, have already been tested on LAPP’s product materials.

LAPP collaborates with many different partners throughout the food and beverage technology industry. Whether in dairy processing and dairy technology, meat and fish processing, bakery and confectionery processing, in beverage bottling plants or packaging machines — LAPP is an expert solution partner for cable and connection technology and provides maximum functionality and safety with its reliable and proven branded products.

Benefits of LAPP connection solutions include:

• Temperature-resistant and heat-resistant cables
• Use of hybrid cables
• Corrosion-resistant
• Hygienic Design compliant
• FDA approval and certified according to EHEDG, ECOLAB, IPA clean room suitability
• Development with regard for adequate component protection classes

For more information, please visit: https://lappaustralia.com.au/en/food-beverage-solutions.