METAL DETECTABLE SEAL FOR DIN AND CLAMP FITTINGS

Scenario

In the dairy industry, industrial production has faced the increasing frequent introduction of automatic machinery which permit the reduction of production time. Therefore nowadays it is possible to produce larger quantities with lower costs and big benefit for final consumers.

Increasing automation has also allowed the in-line implementation of metal detector capable of identifying and rejecting metallic parts inside the product

Challenge

One of our customers, a major milk and diary producer, has detected a breakage risk for the seals in the pipes’ DIN fittings during the reassembly phase following the cleaning COP one. As a precautionary measure, the client asked us to upgrade the sealing solution with a metal detectable material resistant to both washing and specific fluids used in the food industry and MOCA approved.

Solution

Analysing the system, our technicians found out that in case of incorrect seal’s assembly in the seat during the post-cleaning assembly phase it was very easy that the seal would crush with the risk of fragments leaking inside the product.

Once analysed the application, the ATP technical team proposed to replace the seal used up to that moment with one realized with a similar materials but metal detectable. To meet the needs of the dairy industry, the seal also had to be blue and able to count on FDA (for foreign markets) and EU 1935/2004 (for the European market) certifications. Considering the characteristics of both the product and the washes, our technicians chose the SINTEK FPM-FDA-MDX.

SINTEK FPM-FDA-MDX is a fluorinated elastomer suitable for direct contact with food (MOCA), it is metal detectable and able to withstand the intense sanitizations of the Dairy industry. Its blue colour is really appreciated in the Food & Beverage and nowadays it is almost a standard in Dairy industry.

ATP’s turning technology for special rubber has permitted to meet the strict tolerances required by the customer and create a profile capable of adapting perfectly to the fitting, Moreover ATP’s technology has permit to produce just number of seals needed by the customer.

Although the GMP (Good Production Practices) system, a mandatory part of the MOCA certification, which can be achieved through self-declaration, ATP has decided to certify its system through DNV, an internationally recognized organization, in order to offer a greater value to its customers

Testimony

More than six months after the adoption of the seal, the customer has never had problems related to the re-assembly of the seal and the metal detector has never found the presence of metal fragments.