Food MArketing & Technology In India Food Marketing & Technology In India Vol 10 | Page 30

Processing
THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH QUALITY
ELASTOMER SEALS IN FOOD AND DAIRY
E
lastomers are found in many
different products and all
kinds of industries, but it can
be difficult to determine the correct
elastomer material to work best
for a specific sealing application.
Selecting the correct combination of
material compound and geometry
will provide an optimal level of
sealing
performance,
making
the specification and design of
elastomeric seals crucial to the long
term reliability of the application.
There are a number of critical
challenges in food and dairy
applications,
including
but
not restricted to high and low
temperature extremes, resilience
to aggressive cleaning regimes and
the stringent industry standards
that need to be met – including
those set by the Food and Drug
Administration
and
Water
Regulations Advisory Scheme.
There are two main elastomer
materials
found
in
sealing
applications within the food and
dairy industries:
EPDM – a general purpose
elastomer material used in the
food industry, able to withstand
operating temperature ranging from
-30° to 288°C.
FFKM – selected for resistance to
higher
operating
temperatures
(ranging from -46° to 327°C), and/
or universal chemical resistance
against process media.
Along with EPDM and FFKM
grades, there are some lower
quality grades which may also be
considered for food and dairy – but
is it worth the risk?
The problem with
lower quality elastomers
In the world of fast moving consumer
goods, brand image and trust is
everything. With fierce competition,
quality and safety needs to be a
priority to ensure that reputation is
not ruined with a single issue.
Over time, repeated mechanical
operation can cause damage to
elastomer seals, which can result in
contamination. Poor installation can
also cause seals to be dislodged, but
regular maintenance can help reduce
the risk to provide extra security
and peace of mind. The risk of batch
contamination can be minimised by
selecting a higher quality elastomer
with demonstrably better resistance
to mechanical, thermal and chemical
stresses.
In addition to the cost of
materials and reputation which
result from a seal failure, there is
also the substantial cost of seal
replacement – including costs
associated with lost production time
and clean-up costs.
It is therefore very important to
make your seal provider completely
aware of the operating conditions
your seals can expect to face, so they
can advise you appropriately on the
correct elastomer material and seal
profile choices.
Choosing the right supplier
Choosing the right elastomer It is important to get this right
at the beginning, by selecting a
sealing solution provider with a
detailed working understanding
of the food and dairy industry.
Ensure
the
competence
of
your seal supplier by checking
for certifications such as the
ISO9001:2015, as well as FDA, 3-A,
WRAS and EC compliance.
Cutting costs on implemented sealing
solutions is likely to cost equipment
operators significantly more money
in the long run. As in many other
industries, low cost rarely equates
to high value – and without due care
and attention given to the selection
of appropriate sealing materials and
profiles for the operating conditions,
costly failure modes are much more
likely to appear. With the right knowledge and
all necessary safety certifications
in place, your sealing solution
provider will be able to advise on
the best elastomer materials for your
food or dairy application. For more
information on selecting the right
sealing solution for your application,
get in touch with the Novotema
team.
Over time, repeated mechanical operation can cause
damage to elastomer seals, which can result in
contamination. Poor installation can also cause seals to
be dislodged, but regular maintenance can help reduce
the risk to provide extra security and peace of mind
Food Marketing & Technology
30
August 2019