Swedish company adopts DuPont Delrin? acetal grade for food closures

WeLoc-Weland M. AB uses DuPont Delrin acetal resin in a new range of food-industry bag closures. The resin is suitable for ‘snap-closure’ action and is durable at -50°C. This particular grade can also be seen by metal detectors. These features, combined with creep resistance, strength, stiffness, toughness, low wear and low friction, offer the company and other food industry suppliers an engineering polymer capable of replacing metal components in many applications.

Metal or X-ray detection is required in the food industry to protect against foreign material cross contaminating food. This is one of two new food-compliant Delrin resins developed for food processing equipment components; material handling equipment, such as conveyor chains and hoppers; food-manipulation tools, such as cutters, shovels, scrapers; and forms and moulds. Particles as small as 3mm, the size of 3 sugar grains, can typically be detected using standard inspection systems. This helps ensure contaminated food doesn’t reach the consumer.

 Delrin typically does not require additional lubrication, resulting in silent and durable mechanisms, and offers good, clean aesthetics, leading to a cleaner and friendlier working environment. It also is highly resistant to cleaning agents and offers very good behaviour under thermal shock. It also promotes ergonomic improvements thanks to lighter equipment and quieter systems due to lower noise emissions compared to metal equivalents.

WeLoc, with 30 years of experience in design and manufacturing of plastic sealers for flexible packaging, has evolved the design of the bag closure by incorporating other value-added features, including grippers for heavy-duty applications, scoops and spoon for the bag contents (animal feed, coffee, flour, etc.) and indented jaws for holding cables.

Related link: DuPont Performance Polymers