The high production volumes and continuous operations common in food manufacturing present significant maintenance and equipment replacement challenges. High throughput demands can accelerate wear and failure of critical components, particularly in harsh environments that require frequent sanitization. And with some machines and processes using thousands of bearings, even a single failure can bring production to an expensive and frustrating halt.

That’s why you need durable motion components from a supplier that’s well-positioned to solve these problems. In this second installment of our three-part series on bearings for food and beverage applications, you’ll become familiar with the elements to look for when selecting bearings. We will also explore the ways an ideal motion component specialist can help ensure your bearings will perform reliably and last a long time in this challenging industry.

Start With Stainless Steel

In food and beverage applications, the very agents that keep the environment clean cannot be tolerated for motion components. Large-scale operations may employ a clean-in-place (CIP) washdown method that involves water, detergents and sanitizers, while systems that need sterilization undergo steam-in-place (SIP) cleanings which use condensed steam as the cleaning medium. Each is typically performed frequently and at high pressures, so it’s critical to choose a stainless steel material to resist moisture and avoid rust.

While you can also find alternative corrosion-resistant materials for bearings used in food and beverage manufacturing equipment — each having their own durability and hardness characteristics — they may not meet all your requirements. And, they can be expensive. In addition to choosing stainless-steel motion components, consider specialized coatings and accessories that can provide further protection against corrosion and contamination.

Keep Your Bearing Clean and Dry

While stainless steel materials are a good starting point for bearings, there are still areas of concern where a motion specialist can help bolster reliability and food safety. For example, IKO can collaborate with you to keep your bearings dry and rust-free while also preventing contaminants from potentially tainting food products. Here are just a few of our approaches:

• Food-grade grease. To protect against wear and corrosion for parts that may possibly make contact with food, look for an H-1 food-grade lubricant as classified by NSF (National Sanitation Federation) International.
• Black chrome and fluorinated chrome. Black chrome forms a black permeable film on a surface to resist corrosion, followed by a protective acrylic resin coat. Fluorine black chrome also has improved corrosion resistance and prevents foreign matter from adhering to the surface.
• Seals and scrapers. An ideal motion specialist can offer specially engineered seals and scrapers for harsh or corrosive environments.
• Maintenance-free. IKO can modify linear guides with its unique and highly functional maintenance free C-lube technology and Food-grade lubricant as a custom order option.

High Performance and Reliability — Without Compromise

As the food and beverage industry continually seeks to increase throughput and maximize ROI, motion components must deliver uncompromising performance and reliability. Your motion component manufacturer must share these goals with solutions that operate reliably in hygienic environments. With IKO stainless steel components, protective accessories and application expertise, you’ll satisfy your food and beverage equipment requirements and keep it running reliably for a long time.

For more information, please visit our industry page.