Cartridges & Mechanical Seals

86 Sectors Food and pharma The food and pharma sectors are especially demanding with respect to safety in their processes. It is very important to prevent contamination with the manufactured products and the halting of production lines during the entire work flow. Due to these extreme conditions, the use of elastomers in resistant ma- terials such as EPDM peroxide, FFKM and Aflas ® is essential, and they must also comply with the strictest compulsory standards required in these industries: FDA, CE 1935, KTW, WRAS, 3-A, etc. Many different kinds of machines exist for transferring temperature- sensitive products, viscous substances, fluids with particles or particles in suspension: screw pumps, stirrers, mills, homogenisers, reactors and mixers. The most appropriate mechanical seal design is the hygienic one which reduces the possibility of product remains being deposited and not eliminated during CIP/SIP processes, which could give rise to sources of contamination. For this reason, the use of CIP (Cleaning in place) or SIP (Sterilisation in place) processes is quite usual. The complex chemical mixtures (alkaline solutions) used in CIP processes may damage the seals of the mecha- nical seals in a short time, and in SIP, high temperatures reaching values of up to 150º C can destroy conventional elastomer materials. Applications Requirements or critical conditions of the application Type of seal recommended Sauces: → Wave spring seal (protected spring), conical spring seal, multispring seal (double) and single cartridge seal. Fluids containing particles Sweets and chocolate → Double cartridge seal, reservoirs, wave spring seal (protected spring) and bellows seal (metal). Viscous products Products with a high sugar content Water and soft drinks: → Conical spring seal and bellows seal. Fluids without particles → Conical spring seal and wave spring seal (protected spring). CIP/SIP processes Beer: → Wave spring seal (protected spring), conical spring seal and multispring seal (protected). Viscous products CIP/SIP processes Dairy products (milk, yoghourts, butter, cheese, fats…) → Multispring seal (double), double cartridge seal, reservoirs and wave spring seal (protected spring). Viscous and sticky products Creamy products, ointments, cosmetics, gels, etc Determining the mechanical seal design and the appropriate materials for each application is essential in order to cut costs.