Rittal’s hygienic enclosures
07 March 2012
One of the constant battles faced within the food processing industry is the high risk of contamination by micro-organisms and bacteria, which could potentially have a negative impact on production
To aid this, many food and beverage sectors have wash down procedures taking place several times a day, leaving equipment clean and ready for another shift.
In order to maintain a hygienic working environment, automation equipment that is sensitive to moisture, instrumentation, pneumatic valves, sensors and so on all have to be protected against water ingress. But what about the electrical components, enclosures housing drives and PLC’s and motors level sensors?
Leaks can cause electrical faults, encourage bacteria growth and will almost certainly result in expensive breakdowns and production loss. Rittal have a range of HD (Hygienic Design) enclosures specifically designed to prevent unwanted deposits accumulating on enclosure surfaces, crevices and recesses, as well as keeping water out.
A meat processing plant in the south west of England has implemented a new Rittal HD enclosure system which allows a guaranteed startup after washdown. The processing lines have many controls and status indicating equipment installed, where highly sealed control equipment such as an IP69K switch and indicator guarantees fault free operation, even under extreme washdown or spillage situations. Using Rittal HD enclosures with an IP69K protection category makes cleaning easier as micro-organisms have nowhere to hide.
Rittal’s HD enclosures, with a protection category of IP69K are a key element in the design of clean rooms for open processes in the food industry. Once installed, the long life blue coloured silicone seals and aggressive environmental resistant 304 grade stainless steel surface, guarantee trouble free operation for many years.
Enclosures from Rittal specified correctly and adapted for the right environment equates to cost effective operations, as proven by the rigorous cleaning methods applied in environments such as meat processing plants.
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