Hygienic designs, food safety, HACCP and recognition of glass bottles. These are all words that confront me in my daily job as a technical manager in the Food Branch.
It was however only during a recent family holiday to Sub-Sahara Africa that I really understood where we in the western world came from.
Why do we have all these law, requirements and procedures that make our jobs in the machine building and food producing industry so hard?
To me, all these rules did was create a huge paper work problem. However, after 3 days of wild market food and 2 days of, lets just say no food at all, I suddenly appreciated that all the rules were actually just what I needed to ensure I had a pain free day.
Hygienic design, food safety and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) raise many questions at the food manufactures and machine builders.
In order to save costs in this compulsory process hygienic designed machines and components have become an issue throughout the food and drink industry.
For Sick, a component producer of machine sensors, hygienic design goes hand in hand with aggressive wash down applications.
Only through robust sensors that can withstand an aggressive wash down cycle and meet the physical, chemical and biological requirement of the hygienic guidelines can we confidently support our customer.
For example the new Sick Stainless Steel optical sensor W4 has its sights firmly set on the drink filling and meat processing applications.
The full body stainless steel housing has one goal in mind, food safety with no loss to sensor performance and at a realistic price.
Rounded corners and smooth surfaces ensure no liquids can accumulate on the sensor. A specially designed and patented metal membrane teach button sets a new standard of water resistance in the industry.
Food grade plastics with special surface coatings ensure a scratchproof optical window that does not endanger the food even if full contact is made.
Mounting holes that can be used or be plugged ensure that the sensor can be practically and flexibly mounted.
Sick has even gone so far as to define a new wash down, cleaning chemical and sterilising gas test. This test was developed together with an industry leader in the food industry.
Only after months of on-site testing and reworking, did Sick fell confident enough to put our reputation on the line and claim to be what is needed in the food industry.
Even with all the design changes the sensor still maintains its hi-performance optical qualities. Best in class pin point technology ensures visibility of the light spot and a reliable detection of objects. I/O link remains a standard feature.
A transparent Glass and PET detection and evaluation system ensure that all know forms of transparent glass and PET sheets, bottle and foils are reliably detected.
The evaluation system even ensures that dirt accumulation is reliably suppressed until the next cleaning cycle. Looking back at the market entry of this product and feedback from the industry, one can only be amazed at the work of the design engineers.
Not only has the market requirements for robust, water tight and hygienic designed sensors being meet, but they have not lost any of there technical performance.
W4S-3 INOX — Products designed for harsh environment
The new W4S-3 INOX completes the W4 product line with solutions for food and beverage industry. The design is made for harsh environment and wash down processes in production.
A sensor design that guarantees up time for your machines and efficency in your production process.
Keith Thompson was Technical Industry Manager in the segment Food and Beverage at SICK AG, Germany. He has recently returned home after 9 years in Germany, to Sick Australia as Technical product and Solution Center manager.
Thompson graduated from the University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand in 1999 with an electronic engineering degree.
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