When elevator buckets are worn or damaged through typical manufacturing operations they may contaminate the food with fragments and particles of various sizes. The potential for contamination has increased industry demand for all plastic parts that come into contact with food directly or indirectly to be detectable and compliant with food industry standards and specifications.
To reduce the risk of contamination, Apollo Group chose a LUVOCOM® high-performance detectable compound to replace a non-detectable PA 6 material previously used in its elevator buckets. “We needed a highly reliable material because the machine transports food products and we chose LUVOCOM 3-9001/BL/L because it guarantees hygienic safety,” said Bertil Elders, Spare Parts Manager with Apollo Group. “Our bucket elevators with LUVOCOM buckets are currently being used by a number of global food manufacturers including chocolate and candy producers to ensure product safety for their consumers.”
LUVOCOM is compliant with food contact regulations such as EU 10/2011 and FDA CFR 21.177. It is colored blue to make visual traceability easier and it meets the mechanical requirements of the buckets including stiffness and impact resistance.
Because LUVOCOM 3-9001/BL/L is magnetic, the presence of fragments or particles can be detected by common metal or x-ray detectors used in food production lines. For example if a broken piece of the bucket were to contaminate the food, it can be detected later in the process by the detection line and separated automatically. Contaminated parts can be apprehended and reliably rejected, even when the foreign particles are down to 1mm (0.04in.) in size.
LUVOCOM high-performance detectable compounds are available in a wide range of thermoplastic materials including PE, PP, PA, POM to PES and PEEK. Practically all thermoplastic materials can be supplied with the detectable characteristic.
Apollo bucket elevators combine horizontal and vertical transport in one installation. They are easy to install, highly reliable, and have low maintenance requirements. They are used for conveying a broad range of bulk products in the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, chemical, ceramic, glass, recycling, building and metallurgy industries as well as other materials requiring gentle handling such as grains, coffee, sweets, sugar, rice, beans, pet food, peanuts, seeds and tea.
Detectable LUVOCOM 3-9001/BL/L for elevator buckets of Apollo Group
Contact person:
Lehmann&Voss&Co. KG
Thomas Collet
Schimmelmannstrasse 103
22043 Hamburg
Germany
Tel.: +49 40 44197 412
E-mail: col(at)lehvoss.de