Acorn stocks a large range of products that are ideal for the food and beverage industry. Products that are great for washdowns, high and low temperature applications and that are easy to clean and made from food-safe materials.
The food and beverage industry is subject to extremely harsh operating conditions. Demand for maximum productivity leads to high operating speeds, putting strain on all application components. Frequent washdowns to maintain the strictest levels of hygiene degrade equipment and cause lubrication leakage. Contaminants and chemicals such as acids and alkalis, both in food and beverage products and during cleaning can lead to degradation within the equipment. Temperatures ranging from -50oc to over 300oc put added demands on components, testing them to their limits.
As the costs of energy and labour rise, regulations are also becoming stricter, making it difficult to find components which satisfy all regulations without increasing costs. A solution is required which satisfies all regulations whilst remaining cost-effective, optimising uptime and efficiency.
The equipment used within the food and beverage industry has various challenges, and has individual requirements to stand up to those challenges.
The machines used to prepare food and drink such as machines for washing, sorting, peeling, separating, or blending are generally wet and contaminated. Seasonal products, such as certain types of fruit or vegetable, need to be moved quickly, so the machines are often run at maximum speeds, with very little downtime scheduled. A failure during this time would have the potential to halt production for long enough to spoil produce, costing the business thousands of pounds in lost stock, lost labour and lost sales. It is therefore essential that good quality components are used to minimise the risk of unplanned downtime.
Heat is something which is used a lot in the food and beverage industry: for baking, roasting, boiling and deep frying. Heat degrades lubricants quickly, as well as causing corrosion of the application components. Components are often re-lubricated frequently to counter this issue, but this comes with its own problems: grease leakage, reduced productivity, and increased waste management costs.
In contrast to heat, cold environments can also cause issues, for example during chilling or freezing. During cleaning, the temperature of freezing applications can rise quickly from sub-zero up to 35oc, causing air to expand inside the bearings, degrading component performance. The cold can also degrade lubricants, causing water to enter bearings and freeze. The bearing may then crack, allowing bacteria to form inside the bearing, and creating a potential health hazard.
Products related to the Food & Beverage Industry
- Stainless steel bearing units & composite housings
- Food grade lubricants
- Food grade automatic lubricators
- Conveyor chains
- Stainless steel roller chain
- Linear bearings
- Ball screws
- Roller screws
- Linear guides
- Roller guides
- Miniature linear rail guides
- Gear couplings
- Spider couplings
- Stainless steel bearings
- Dynamic seals
- Radial shaft seals
- Molded oil bearings
