Prioritising Productivity for the Food and Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry is an economic powerhouse. Larger than the UK’s automotive and aerospace sectors combined, it accounts for around a fifth of all manufacturing, contributing almost £29 billion to the economy. Annual food and drink exports alone are worth more than £22 billion.

The sector has many challenges, including a current labour shortage, volatile ingredient prices, changing customer preferences and rigorous operating standards. Consequently, food and drink manufacturers are striving to improve their productivity.¹

Washing-away profits

In any manufacturing sector, machinery and productivity are closely linked. However, in the food and drink sector, the characteristics of machines when they’re not running are almost as important as their performance when operating.

Food and beverage manufacturing systems undergo regular washdowns to guard against the build-up of bacteria and residues, and to avoid cross-contamination between batches. However, wash-downs are a drain on productivity, a cost in terms of time, labour and resources, and can also affect the reliability of equipment frequently doused with water and detergent.

Cleaning products which find their way into bearings will shorten the life of lubricants and accelerate corrosion. Yet managing those issues with more frequent lubrication and maintenance, or dealing with early component failure and unplanned downtime, can also increase costs.

Clean sheet design

It was with these issues in mind that SKF recently set out to design a range of bearings specifically for the food and beverage sector. The company went back to the drawing board for the new range, building up a design, component by component, to improve:

·       hygiene

·       performance

·       compliance with food safety regulations

The new SKF Food Line bearing range is the successful result, incorporating a host of innovations.

Innovation inside and out

The housings of the new bearing range use an over-moulded rubber base seal that prevents contamination and bacteria growth between the unit and the mounting frame. A special back seal and end cover prevent process material from entering the bearing. The end cover also uses a patented locking mechanism to prevent accidental dislodging.

The geometry of the entire housing is designed to eliminate crevices where bacteria might establish themselves. Angled surfaces and a smooth surface finish reduce material accumulation and ensure liquids drain away easily.

Inside, a patented multi-lipped sealing arrangement keeps lubricant inside the bearing and contaminants out. The corrosion-resistant stainless-steel bearing rotates in high performance food grade grease – a factory-installed lubricant designed to last for the bearing’s lifetime. This eliminates the need for regular re-lubrication.

For food and drink manufacturers, the new Food Line bearings are a game changer. Their smart external design cuts by 33% the time, water and detergent required for washdowns.

Yet these benefits don’t compromise longevity. Thanks to advanced materials and sophisticated sealing technology, the Food Line bearings also achieve a longer service life than their conventional counterparts.

References

¹. http://www.bdo.co.uk/getmedia/e29fd8c2-4ff7-4c9f-a047-4b307aeebe70/BDO-Food-and-Drink-Report-2018.aspx