Application of Fluid Sealing in Food and Beverage Industries

 Industrial operations must maintain a high standard of sanitation and hygiene when manufacturing food and beverages.

The materials used in the processing equipment must not release any chemicals into the food, should not be absorbed or transferred by ingredients or flavours, and must avoid leaks or other defects that could expose products to contamination.

It can be difficult to choose the ideal sealing solution for a certain industry application. When selecting seals for use in food and beverage processing, this complexity only increases because there are so many different things to take into account.

Worldwide regulations governing which raw materials are permitted for use in food and beverage applications have been created, while regional variations may exist. 

Additionally, the sealing materials that are utilised in the manufacturing process need to be able to tolerate corrupt media like cleaning solutions, greases, and extremely high and low temperatures.

There are 5 applications of fluid sealing for food and beverage industries:

1. Where will the seal be used?: Finding a sealing manufacturer should take into account the intricacy of food and beverage regulations as well as the potential necessity to produce alternative ingredient formulae.

Customers may spend more time and money with businesses that do not routinely monitor regulatory developments. Similarly, businesses that do not regularly do thorough material testing may find it challenging and time-consuming to remove and replace a single prohibited ingredient.

2. Which foods will the seal be exposed to?: If the proper sealing materials are not employed, prolonged exposure to some ingredients might have a severe impact on the performance of the equipment. 

Different types of sealing materials are frequently needed for dairy products, including milk, ice cream, and some oils, in order to perform as intended and comply with regulations. 

Concentrated syrups, some of which may be very acidic, are frequently used in the creation of carbonated sodas and other flavoured beverages.

3. What is the seal expected to do?: The criteria for how the seal will perform in a particular environment must be assessed in order to choose the best sealing solution. 

Such analysis frequently calls for examining parameters related to actual use in food and beverage systems in addition to material and product specifications.

For every sort of seal in your application, a single common material might not be the ideal choice. 

The best bet for making sure you can explore a lot of possibilities for your needs is to work with a sealing supplier that has a diverse array of solutions.

4. Temperature exposure — both high and low: Both extremes need to be taken into account when determining the temperature settings under which food and beverages are produced.

Increase in temperatures often speed up chemical processes and material deterioration.

The food or beverage product itself is frequently less aggressive than the steam utilised in the sterilisation process. The material compatibility strategy should therefore take into account the actual temperature conditions experienced.

Freezing temperatures can make seals brittle and fracture, which can result in failure and possible contamination problems. 

Low operating temperatures can also have a significant impact on dynamic seals, which must be flexible enough to bend and move inside an application. A dynamic seal that has stiffened up too much won't leak or follow the sealing surface.

5. Customer expectations: Each customer may have different expectations when it comes to seal performance, especially when dealing with process manufacturing customers who make identical products, even inside the same location and under the same standards.

Longer-lasting sealing solutions or those that can be applied globally across different locations may have a greater initial cost, but for clients that need them, the advantages may exceed the price over time. 

If a global compound is employed, multiple materials wouldn't need to be verified and validated.

JD Jones is a market leader in producing automotive and industrial gaskets, heat shields, fluid sealing products, compression packing products, and much more.

They provide high-quality, high-accuracy fluid sealing products for over 99 years through our specialized Sealing Products Division. They concentrate on specialized and "hard to find" products monitored and led by a staff with over 55 years of total expertise in the fluid sealing sector.