Hygienic Design - Connectors for food processing industry
The food processing industry places high demands on hygiene and process safety, and certainly on connectors and cables.
The connectivity specialist ESCHA offers a wide product range in so-called "Hygienic Design" which, due to specifically selected plastics, cable qualities and protection classes (IP67, IP68 and IP69), can be used without problems in the food industry. ESCHA has a portfolio of connectors for the three typical hygienic zones within the food and beverage industry: food zone, spray zone and packaging zone.
Food zone
In the food zone, food can come into contact with parts of the system and then be fed back into the treatment process. Therefore, hygiene requirements in this zone are particularly high. To prevent the deposition of residues, connectors must not contain cavities. ESCHA has therefore developed a product range of M8 and M12 connectors in Hygienic Design, referring to EHEDG guidelines (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group). Moreover, FDA-compliant materials and a high-quality TPE cable quality guarantee high resistance to acidic and alkaline cleaning and disinfection agents. All sealing and optical properties of the connectors are retained over the long term, despite regular use of steam jet and high-pressure cleaning.
Spray zone
In the spray zone - also known as wash-down zone - foodstuffs may also come into contact with system components, but they do not return to the treatment process. Hygiene requirements regarding connectors and cables are therefore significantly lower in this zone. ESCHA offers easy-to-clean M8 and M12 connectors in Hygienic Design, which feature a PVC cable quality adapted to the spray zone. The M12 connectors are also optionally available with high-quality plastic locking nuts, offering a cost-efficient alternative to the usual stainless steel V4A.
Packing zone
Unlike the contact zone and spray zone, the packaging zone is similar to the classic industrial zone. Food can no longer come into contact with machine parts there. Therefore, aggressive cleaning agents and steam cleaning are not necessary. For this zone, ESCHA has a standard sensor/actuator connector programme. This means that the whole range of different standard cable qualities is available. From the all-rounder "S370" for robot cables to particularly flexible cables that can easily withstand several million torsion and bending cycles and are therefore predestined for use in drag chain applications. Read more about food and beverage.
View food and beverage cables and connectors in the webshop Ask your question
Food and beverage catalogue
Download the food and beverage catalogue for connectors in the food industry from ESCHA.
Connectivity components in Hygienic Design are tailor-made for applications in the food and beverage industry.
