igus says new products set high standards

29 April 2013

Energy chain and cabling specialist, igus UK, has launched two new blue products for the food processing industry designed to enable maufacturers to produce food that is safe for consumption.

The blue energy chains (pictured) are said to be easy to detect and, according to igus, blue CFSPECIAL 544 cables ‘set a new high standard for anti-microbial cables’. The company adds that the technology has been designed for food manufacturers to operate to the ‘highest levels of hygiene’.

In production lines, machine failure and damage cannot be eliminated and being able to detect foreign materials quickly in food is vital to guarantee the reliability of food production lines.

Igus has designed a detectable polymer energy chain by using a special plastic material, igumid DT. As a result, spherical particles of the blue material as small as 1mm can be detected in fragments passing at speeds of 20m/min by all standard metal detection systems.

According to igus, this means that in case of machine failure, no part of the energy chain will enter and contaminate the food chain. The blue detectable material igumid DT is available for the E2/000 and E4.1 series energy chains.

igus has also introduced a new hygienic version of its chainflex cable which has been designed especially for use in moving applications in the food and drink industry, in a bid to prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses and mould.

Typically, many cables get their anti-bacterial properties through coating, however, this can wear off over time due to the permanent movement in the energy chain. igus says its blue CFSPECIAL 544 cable is more reliable than the alternatives as the jacket material has special additives and its anti-microbial properties are contained throughout the composition of the jacket. As a result, the anti-bacterial properties are emitted over a long life time to restrict the growth of micro-organisms. The new material has passed the international tests for anti-microbial activity and effectiveness in line with ISO 22196 and JIS Z 2801.

“Ensuring safety in the food and drink industry is paramount and the contamination of food is illegal under the UK’s Food Safety Act 1990,” said Justin Leonard, director at igus. “At igus we continue to innovate and have developed these two new blue products to make it as easy as possible for our customers to ensure they are operating in the most hygienic way, and preparing food to the highest standards. We have used the colour blue because it is not naturally found in food and can be easily detected.”