Revolutionary sealing and connection technology

Juergen Leuze NovoNox

Hygienic Design NovoNox

For a decade, NovoNox KG, based in Markgröningen, has been offering machine components made from high-quality and corrosion-resistant stainless steel. Additionally, the company is conquering the market with a broad range of special standard and control parts designed according to Hygienic Design, as well as top-quality solutions for hygiene-sensitive manufacturing areas. The demand: In an interview with Business Unit Manager Jürgen Leuze.

Mr. Leuze, for now ten years, NovoNox KG has been successfully competing in the market with its range of high-quality screw and control parts, including an innovative Hygienic Design line.
Indeed, NovoNox celebrated its ten-year anniversary last November. However, we are part of a larger corporate group that has been operating very successfully in the market for nearly 100 years. In 2006, the decision was made to spin off NovoNox as a specialist for high-quality components and specific customer applications. This positioned another provider of high-quality stainless steel parts and other non-corroding components in the market.

Which industries do you target with your specialized Hygienic range?
We focus on plant operators and manufacturers in the food industry, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. Using our products, plant builders can comply with applicable hygiene regulations and CE markings. Plant operators benefit from increased product safety and plant availability. An added bonus is that daily cleaning of the plants becomes significantly easier and safer when using our components.

Your components are of the highest quality, but what makes NovoNox an especially unique provider beyond that?
We excel through fair and cooperative dealings with our customers. These qualities have been practically ingrained in NovoNox from the outset. Additionally, punctual delivery, high consulting expertise, and top-notch service are among our strengths.

What does this mean, especially regarding your consulting expertise?
We offer highly competent technical advice. We listen carefully to customers and prospects and explicitly address their specific problems, requirements, and concerns within their companies. Thanks to our many years of experience in machine and plant engineering, we are well able to understand our customers’ challenges. This results in practical solutions that help all involved parties achieve their set goals.

For NovoNox, I would also like to highlight the extraordinary willingness to innovate. This has led to our new developments in Hygienic Design and ultimately to a very successful collaboration with Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. This has resulted in special products according to Hygienic USIT®. These are innovative sealing and washer discs from Freudenberg combined with specially coordinated screw systems from NovoNox, leading to a revolutionary and unique sealing and connection technology made in one piece.

In the fight against germs and particles, components according to Hygienic USIT® now play a prominent role. What is the focus of these special applications?
NovoNox has always been a specialist for custom parts. Even today, this sector contributes significantly to the overall turnover. The collaboration with Freudenberg began about five years ago when Freudenberg introduced a new hygienic sealing, but at that time, there was no optimized screw or nut available on the market for this purpose. Specifically for the Hygienic USIT® sealing and washer disc from Freudenberg, NovoNox then developed an optimally coordinated screw system. When both products are combined, for the first time, a screw and sealing system is available for the hygiene-sensitive sector that fully meets all requirements in this field.

Which properties are essential for the machine use to meet the desired high hygiene standards?
This involves several criteria: The head of the screw must have a specific geometric shape and dimensions to ensure 100% functionality of the seal. The surface of the screw system also guarantees that the seal can flow outward unimpeded when tightening the screw. Lastly, the entire geometry must comply with the relevant guidelines of EHEDG and legal hygiene standards.

So, the main requirement in hygiene-sensitive production environments is to achieve absolute tightness?
Exactly, that’s the challenge. Imagine a standard screw connection. Even with the maximum tightening torque, a gap at the screw head contact surface cannot be prevented. At this point, capillary action causes product residues or cleaning fluids to be drawn under the screw head. Once these foreign substances are beneath the screw head, the thread can become contaminated within a very short time. If, over time, a screw joint leaks a non-specific liquid into the product-carrying area, it can cause significant damage, up to product recalls of contaminated goods.

With NovoNox's hygienic screw system, are such undesirable scenarios now a thing of the past?
Using components according to Hygienic USIT®, such risks can be prevented—assuming correct application. The seal runs continuously around and is pressure-stable up to 150 bar. This is mainly achieved by integrating the washer directly into the seal. Tightening the screw ensures it can be screwed down fully without overstraining the seal. The maximum tightening torque can be applied without risking damage to the seal. This removes the reliance on chance regarding how tightly a separate seal is compressed during tightening.

Behind these components lies a lengthy and complex development process. Was this a risk for NovoNox KG?
Yes, it was, because at the time, no one knew whether and how the product would be accepted on the market. We also couldn’t predict whether companies with hygiene-sensitive production areas would be willing to adopt such an innovation or prefer to stick with traditional systems. Economic considerations like annual consumption or decisions about which sizes and lengths of components to stock were initially overlooked because they were unpredictable. However, due to the enormous benefits for users, NovoNox was 100% convinced of the new system and its successful introduction.

Innovative products are rarely self-selling. How challenging was it to establish these new stainless steel components prominently in the market?
Market penetration involved a lot of effort and dedication. Samples were offered for testing, live demonstrations were conducted on-site with users, and responsible personnel and staff in maintenance and purchasing were thoroughly informed. It took nearly a year before significant sales volumes were achieved. But then, demand gained momentum. Recognizing the advantages and safety benefits of this screw and sealing system, it has now become well established among users. Today, both small local bakeries and major corporations are among our customers. Additionally, the new screw and sealing systems are now being used in other areas that we initially hadn’t explored. For example, the new ICE generation of Deutsche Bahn is equipped with special cap nuts and sealing discs—not for hygiene reasons, but to handle everyday tasks. For instance, covers can be screwed on absolutely watertight, preventing condensation that could cause corrosion of internal components.

NovoNox safety components are now also a focus at industry trade shows due to their hygienic and dead-space-free properties. Has awareness of germ and contamination issues increased recently?
Absolutely, the answer is "Yes." End customers want safety and plant availability, but they also want to avoid recall actions at all costs. Therefore, safety aspects are gaining increasing importance. In the USA, the screw and sealing system is already mandated under strict hygiene requirements according to USDA certification. Consequently, we have gradually expanded our product range to include wing handles, mushroom knobs, lever handles, thin-shank screws compliant with EU standards, clamping levers, ball head screws, cap nuts, and adjustable feet.

Dichtungen are now available in blue and white EPDM and blue Fluoroprene XP45, covering all application areas. For many cases, we can supply both control parts and fastening parts in Hygienic Design and Hygienic USIT®. Additionally, we meet the EU hygiene standards and ensure non-loss features. Our own tool manufacturing guarantees the highest quality “made in Germany,” and specially developed tools from NovoNox protect connection elements with sensitive surfaces. They reliably prevent damage and scratching of the delicate surfaces of connection components.

Are there plans for further developments?
We have numerous other developments in the pipeline. For example, we will soon realize a machine foot according to Hygienic USIT®. The turnbuckle will be made entirely from stainless steel 1.4404 and sealed on both sides. This ensures compliance with EU standard 2006/42/EC (non-loss of the screw) and meets Hygienic Design requirements. We are also focusing on opening up additional markets, such as those with maritime backgrounds, the automotive industry, cleanrooms and laboratories, special vehicles, water treatment, and certainly aerospace. These are areas that rely on tight screw connections and face issues like undercutting screw heads, thread jamming, condensation, and contamination of internal components. With Hygienic USIT®—tailored to specific needs—these problems belong to the past.

Where do you see NovoNox KG in the future, especially after another 10 years?
Undoubtedly, acceptance in the food industry and other hygiene-sensitive sectors regarding the use of components made according to Hygienic Design and Hygienic USIT® is clearly increasing. Still, further convincing efforts will be necessary in the future. This remains at the core of our future activities. I look forward to the upcoming development work because every challenge presents new tasks. In the coming decade, all efforts will be directed toward realizing and implementing new, innovative products for hygiene-sensitive manufacturing processes, including providing sophisticated solution concepts. And who knows, perhaps soon another groundbreaking product innovation from NovoNox will conquer the market.