Traditional vs. hygienic
Several partners from research and industry have examined the possibilities to reduce the environmental impact of food processing through the use of hygienic machine components in the EU-supported “ECODHYBAT” project. As part of this program, HBK has supplied its aseptic load cells of the type PW27. The examination was conducted by Ainia. Ainia is a technology center which has contributed to many projects under the framework of European initiatives and can look back on more than 25 years of R&D activities. Ainia investigated the degree of hygiene and the cleaning time of a PW27 hygienic load cell from HBK in direct comparison with a conventional load cell (PW15AH, also from HBK).
Research has shown that hygienic load cells have clear advantages: Cleaning of hygienic load cells could be completed faster, by 29 percent, than with conventional load cells. In the experiments, the two load cells were tested after being soiled with a solution of whole milk, fluorescein, ethanol and a dye. In the ECODHYBAT project, cleaning operations were tested in several steps and then analyzed. Finally, the time needed to remove 99 percent of the soiling from the load cells was measured in a number of test samples.
Hygienic load cells
Load cells are used for determining weight during filling, dosing and packaging in the food industry. They are often in direct contact with the substances to be weighed. Therefore, not only the precision of these sensors is crucial, but also their handling and easy cleaning in machines. Hygienic and aseptic load cells are optimized so that their shapes and surfaces prevent the accumulation of dirt and bacteria growth.
