When being blue is a positive thing.
I want to talk about everything blue. Why blue? What are the benefits of blue in the food industry? Because, let’s face it, being blue in the food industry makes you the boss.
Did you know that the food industry is the largest sector of the global economy?
This massive industry is one that the economy simply cannot do without. igus® supports the industry on so many levels and this support is fundamental in ensuring that the food processes/equipment complies with the strict requirements for food hygiene
So, why blue?
Food processing equipment is susceptible to deterioration which can lead to failure in its performance. Food manufacturers need predictability and reliability.
Being blue in colour is a safety factor, it gives the consumers the security they need with instant visibility that there is a foreign body in the food product.
To assist with the preventiveness measures, igus® has created lifetime calculators for our parts. This allows the predictability that is required and allows us to be part of preventive maintenance. The equipment’s overall condition and integrity relies on this and eliminates the continuous dismantling of equipment.
Some manufacturers don’t require their products to be blue however, these normally indicate that they are not in direct contact with food products so don’t be alarmed if your product is not blue!
igus® products; benefits at a glance:
- FDA-compliant plastics and certification to EU regulation 10/2011
- No lubrication, no product contamination
- Temperature resistance
- Corrosion-resistant
- Low humidity absorption
- Chemical resistance, acid resistance, resistance to alkaline and alcohol
- Maintenance-free
- High wear resistance
Which is the key area in need of FDA materials?
We have FDA-compliant products in all areas of the igus® world, which allows us to be flexible and adaptable in every area and offer solutions in a variety of applications, however, the main one is Food and Packaging. Here are a few products used in this industry:
Knife edge rollers
We supply iglidur® A160 and A181 knife edge rollers for conveyors. These igus® materials are both hard wearing, suitable for direct food contact, blue and are cost- effective.
We also have high-temperature materials such as iglidur® A350 that are used as knife edge rollers. This material can withstand temperatures of +180 degrees. A350 also has a high chemical resistance and can stand up to most harsh chemical washdowns.
Tribo-tape
We supply tribo-tape in all areas of food handling. The tape has a low coefficient of friction, which helps not only to protect the products on the conveyor belt but helps the transitional journey, keeping the products moving nice and smoothly.
3D filament
We have 9 iglidur® 3D filaments available in the igus® family. One of our newest members is the FDA-approved A350 material. This filament has given us more options for our customers, allowing us to help in the food industry, something we have not been able to do… until now.
The tribo-filament has an extremely long service life and components made of igus® tribo-filament are up to 50 times more wear-resistant than standard materials for 3D printed parts. Due to their excellent tribological properties, they are suitable to be used as replacement parts, for example, bearings, drive nuts, gears and other wear parts.
xiros® conveyor rollers
Having the ability to combine both light xiros® ball bearings with the blue PVC outer roller material, these rollers are perfect for conveyors. They are durable, lightweight and due to the technology, our xiros® bearings are designed to be quiet yet hard wearing.
Metal detectable rod ends
Going one step further into protecting the customer, is the blue metal detectable igubal® range. We have a collection of rod ends and clevis joints that can detect even the smallest particle fractions, making these parts ideal for the food industry.
Stainless-steel linear units with blue A160 liners
My final blue introduction is the newly released blue drylin® liners. These are perfectly suited to the food and packaging industry when paired up with the stainless steel linear units. Both are corrosion-free and food-approved so ideal for direct food contact.
As always, maintaining safety, reassurance and confidence are our main goals. igus® is continually increasing product ranges to keep up with the requirements of customers.
With our ears to the ground, we endeavour to keep listening to the wants and needs of our customers and supporting in any way we can.
