Food Processing
ABOUT FOOD PROCESSING PLASTICS
Plastics have become increasingly popular in food processing, allowing companies to create efficient and hygienic products. High-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Acetal are three of the most commonly used plastics in food processing due to their durability and chemical resistance. High-Density Polyethylene is best for applications like packaging, as it is both lightweight and strong, and it is also FDA approved for direct contact with food.
Polypropylene is also used for packaging and is highly resistant to chemicals and temperature fluctuations, making it perfect for hot-fill applications. Finally, Acetal is ideal for food contact surfaces due to its high resistance to corrosion and its low coefficient of friction, making it ideal for conveyor belts and other parts that come into contact with food. These plastics provide a safe and efficient way to process food, and they are an integral part of modern food processing.
Applications
- Bushings, bearings, cams
- Conveyor parts
- Feed screws
- Guide rails
- Machine guards, windows
- Pipes and tubes for fluid processing
- Pistons/plungers
- Rollers
- Seals, seats, gaskets
- Gears, sprockets
- Star wheels
- Thermoformed machine housings
- Wear strips
- Forming dies
- Scraper blades
Materials
- Acetal (POM)
- Acrylic (PMMA)
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Nylon (PA)
- Polycarbonate (PC)
- Polyethyleneterephthalate (PET)
- Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
- Polyetherimide (PEI)
- Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – rigid and flexible
- Polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE)
- Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
- Visual and Metal detectable materials available
Advantages May Include
- Lightweight for high-speed production using smaller drive motors
- Reduced maintenance and reduced contamination by eliminating lubrication
- Resistance to clean-in-place (CIP) and sanitize-in-place (SIP) cleaning chemicals
- Resistant to hot water and steam
- Long wear life
- Limited wear on food packaging and/or mating machine parts
- Transparency for easy viewing of machine during operations
- Grades are available that comply with FDA, NSF, 3A dairy and other federal agency regulations
- Flame, smoke and toxicity resistant
- Cleans easily
- Corrosion resistant
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