Meeting the Demands of a Growing Process Industry

THOUGH many industrial sectors were heavily impacted by the global downturn, the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries have been relatively unscathed. From food to pharmaceuticals, processing companies strive constantly to increase efficiency and reduce waste and maintenance costs whilst meeting ever more stringent environmental and product safety regulations.

"The world population is growing, and more people have access to processed food and medicines, so this market is showing consistent growth," says Ferdinand Schwabe, Food, Beverage & Pharmaceutical segment manager Europe, at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. The company supplies a wide range of static, linear and rotary seals in polymeric materials to food, beverage and pharmaceutical producers globally.

Not only are convenience foods in greater demand today, but also an increasing level of health consciousness amongst consumers has resulted in processed foods that are lower in fat and sugar, and this creates food safety issues.

In microwave-ready foods, sugar reduction can lead to potential food safety issues. "Sugar is a preservative, so products that contain low amounts of sugar are often more susceptible to microorganisms," says Mr Schwabe. "As microwave food is only heated up briefly, pathogenic micro-organisms are not killed, and this raises hygiene requirements within the industry."

The need for hygienic design to ensure product safety whilst maintaining economic efficiency is affecting demand for Trelleborg's products. For one thing, customers need materials and components that can handle higher temperatures.

"Hygienic design is a big issue within the food and pharmaceutical industries," Mr Schwabe says. "This puts big demands on the seals. For example, manufacturers want to increase cleaning temperatures from 80°C to 140°C to make cleaning more effective. Our seals must handle these conditions."

These trends keep Trelleborg's R&D departments busy, with customers calling for solutions that fulfil hygienic design requirements and meet food contact regulations. "Business is growing," Mr Schwabe says. His segment recently had its best month ever, and Mr Schwabe says he expects the trend to continue. "A leading player like Trelleborg finds it easier than other companies to meet the costs of developing and testing the special compounds required to fulfil legal and quality management requirements."

Technology on the inside

From the outside one hose looks much the same as another. Beneath its outer surface, though, advanced technology makes these vital lines integral to any processing system.

Innovative rubber hoses are used throughout the food industry. Whether for transferring milk from farm to factory, for washing down food production areas or for filling barrels with wine, food-use hoses play a key role in the production of virtually everything we eat or drink.

Due to requirements of the different processing areas, hoses tend to be developed specifically for each application. For instance, one such type of hose developed by Trelleborg Engineered Systems offers the superior benefits of a rubber product, whilst its advanced polymer coating allows it to move as easily as a PVC hose around plant floors and processing areas.

"Rubber hoses have significant advantages over PVC products," says Christine Dhiersat, product manager for performance hoses at Trelleborg in Clermont-Ferrand, France. "These are the maintenance of pressure and flexibility over the whole of their operating temperature range and absorption of impact. Their disadvantage is that they are heavier and sometimes difficult to manoeuvre within wineries." For transfer of milk there is the Lactadial. Milk trucks can make as many as 50 milk stops per day, which is not a problem when they are equipped with automatic rollers to extend and recoil the hoses. However, many drivers are obliged to manipulate tสินค้าออกกำลังกายผู้หญิง คุณภาพ ราคาพิเศษ