SEW Eurodrive develops hygienic motor for food and beverage industry
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August, 2013
SEW Eurodrive develops hygienic motor for food and beverage industry
Specialist drive engineering company SEW Eurodrive is able to assist the food & beverage industry in maintaining the highest standards of hygiene, through its Aseptic DAS motor.
SEW Eurodrive Cape Town branch manager Byron Griffiths notes that standard motors often come equipped with cooling fins and fans in which germs and dirt can accumulate and spread.
"Past drive solutions made it difficult to clean the production systems according to the hygiene standards required by these industries. The SEW Eurodrive Aseptic DAS motor has eliminated this risk by utilising pure convection cooling as an alternative to fans."
The SEW Eurodrive Aseptic DAS motor has already proven its value at Cape Town-based Garon Food, a seafood delicatessen that has been supplying a range of products to one of South Africa’s leading supermarket chains for more than 20 years.
Garon food technologist Ruan Brits highlights the fact that the cleanliness and hygienic operating conditions are of prime importance to the company.
"Keeping the working area and the materials handling systems clean and free of unwanted grime and germs requires that the area be washed down three times per working day. The liquid used for washing down all surfaces consists of highly aggressive and corrosive chemicals. These chemicals do not distinguish between machinery parts and grime. As a result of exposure to these chemicals, motors in areas, like the chillers and pickled fish conveyors, were prone to corrosion," he says.
Brits approached SEW Eurodrive for a tailor-made solution to this challenge in June 2012. Griffiths points out that the company provided Garon with the Aseptic DAS motor.
"This motor has a smooth surface to prevent bacteria getting lodged and no fan for swirling around germs and dust. The Aseptic DAS motor has extensive resistance to chemicals, cleaning agents and disinfectants as well as high pressure purification with clear water."
The SEW Eurodrive Aseptic DAS motor can be mounted directly on helical, parallel shaft helical, helical-bevel or helical-worm gear units. Due to their smooth surface, Brits indicates that these motors are easy to clean. "Since implementing the new system, there has been no build-up of dirt, which ultimately prevents the formation of germs or bacteria."
The poultry industry is another sector where cleanliness is of vital importance. It is, however, not uncommon during the daily maintenance periods to see the motors used in abattoirs and chicken houses enclosed in a plastic bag during the cleaning of the machinery, to protect it from leakage of water into the unit.
"This type of solution wastes considerable time and resources when you take into account the time it takes to seal the motors, and the time to remove the bags afterwards. Another threat is that the plastic protective covering could be compromised by the high pressure hose, where a leak could lead to costly damage," adds Griffiths.
"Lastly, by enclosing the unit in a protective cover, it is excluded from the cleaning and sanitising process. The build up of dirt and bacteria on the unit could lead to hygiene problems in the plant."
SEW Eurodrive assisted specialist poultry conveyor equipment manufacturer Mordt Engineering in overcoming this challenge through its Aseptic DAS motor. Mordt Engineering’s Norman Mordt comments:
"We realise that it is critical to address the health and safety risks in the poultry industry. The option of plastic coverings over the motors during cleaning could lead to much bigger problems in the long run and ultimately it is not a solution for the food industry. The product has been specifically designed for use in hygienic environments. Typical design features of this product ensure that there is no place for dirt build-up and the unit can be easily cleaned with high pressure hoses during the sanitising process."
The SEW Eurodrive Aseptic DAS motors, which were introduced to the local market in 2012, are available in power ranges varying from 0,25 kW to 1,5 kW. As part of its value-added service offering to clients, Griffiths concludes by adding that SEW Eurodrive offers local repairs, and after sales service on these units.
Ends.
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