In a post-pandemic world, we are more hygiene conscious than ever before. One of the industries championing hygiene is food and drink manufacturing. In this feature, Marcus Schneck, CEO of norelem, looks at how stainless steel products benefit the sector.
By Marcus Schneck, norelem
There has been a newly refreshed focus on people’s health over the past two years, with one result being a clamping down on regulations in the Food & Drink manufacturing industry. Due to these tighter regulations, every aspect is being looked at with a much closer lens, from best practices in health and safety to implementing higher-quality materials. While these regulations certainly make things safer for consumers, implementing them can be a challenge for manufacturers from both an execution and cost perspective. For some, replacing many elements of a manufacturing system is daunting, as bespoke components are expensive and can take a long time in the order and delivery process. This is where norelem’s Hygienic DESIGN standard components offer an advantageous solution.
Hygienic DESIGN standard components
Being able to uphold the safety standards of the food and beverage manufacturing industry is imperative to its success. norelem’s Hygienic DESIGN range of standard components, such as the A4 quality stainless steel products, can deliver the highest hygiene standards while increasing manufacturing efficiencies. The materials used to make the components give them a longer lifetime. In addition, the products are designed with special radii, transitions, bevels, and surfaces designed to prevent wetting, so they are easy to clean, should this be necessary. Due to reduced downtime and maintenance, the industry will be able to operate more efficiently in the future.
In addition, the components guarantee minimal contamination from harmful microorganisms that cause illness or degrade product quality, as well as allergens. These product specifications strive for reductions in maintenance time and a cleaner, safer manufacturing space, ensuring a prolonged lifetime of the machinery overall.
In addition to classic standard components like clamping levers or indexing plungers, manufacturers are implementing Hygienic DESIGN products, like screws, nuts, and levelling feet, to connect machine parts together. As guidelines become stricter, changes to the technology will be necessary so the range will be expanded over the coming years.
Benefits of standard components
There are numerous benefits of using standard rather than bespoke components in food and drink manufacturing. The reduction in costs and design time will probably be most appealing to manufacturers. Bespoke systems are made to order at a high cost, whereas standard components are kept in stock and have short delivery times. In addition, standard components have guaranteed functions and a number of unique design properties, such as radii and surfaces. But, arguably, the greatest benefit is that standard components can be quickly and easily exchanged in case of the need for repair.
Through reductions in downtime and maintenance, stainless steel components are making the industry more efficient, while the extended lifetime of the products make it more sustainable.
