Detectable plastics from igus for maximum safety in food products

Detectable and lubrication-free high-performance plastics from igus reduce costs and increase process safety. (Source: igus GmbH)

In the food and packaging industry, the highest safety standards apply. To protect consumers, food must be free from any kind of contamination. As part of its ball and joint bearing series, igus offers products made from maintenance-free and equally detectable plastics. This guarantees that no lubricants enter the production chain during operation and that no plastics enter the chain in case of failure.

Metal detectors have now become standard in food and packaging operations. They detect every metallic particle that originates from the production environment. The goods can then be quickly sorted out. But how can plastic particles be detected? This was also the question faced by developers at the Cologne-based motion plastics specialist igus. The solution was ultimately the development of a special high-performance plastic that can be easily detected using common metal detection methods. This material is now found in selected products of the igubal series, which includes joint and fork heads, flanges, joint, and pedestal bearings. Both the housings and the ball heads are made from the detectable plastic. This property is also in demand in other areas of bearing technology. For example, the lightweight polymer ball bearing xiros M180 is available, whose material is also detectable.

Lubrication-free operation provides additional safety

Additionally, these high-performance polymers do not require external lubrication. "A key point in the manufacturing process in the food and packaging industry is to avoid contact between the product and lubricants in the machine," emphasizes Lars Braun, industry manager for food and packaging technology at igus. A significant contribution to this is made by igus's maintenance-free and low-friction bearing materials. "Because they meet exactly these requirements: materials like iglidur A181 or iglidur A350 do not need to be actively lubricated. Furthermore, they comply with EU Regulation 10/2011 EC and meet the requirements of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for repeated contact with food.