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The importance of a cable gland in any project cannot be over stated. Even though the tendency may be to see it as just a small accessory, its impact on the efficacy of the entire project is far-reaching. In fact, no matter how superior the design, a seemingly small and ineffective cable gland can lead to the failure of the product.
The choice of a cable gland, therefore, always needs to be made with prudence. This, in turn, involves considering a number of factors. This could range from the kind of cable being used, its location, environmental conditions, the kind of durability required and more.
When it comes to the food and beverage industry, the criticality of this choice increases manifold. First up, the cable and the cable glands being used, come into contact with a wide range of liquids and chemicals. These could be oils or strong cleaning chemicals. The cables as well as the cable glands, therefore, need to be able to withstand these harsh chemicals. What you need are cables as well as glands that are resistant to greases, vegetable oil, ammonia compounds, bio-gases and more such products that they may come in contact with. Cables as well as cable glands that are not resistant to these chemicals are certainly prone to damage. What this could mean is the entire production coming to a halt, which can, turn out to be very costly. On the other hand, it can also lead to fires, causing a huge threat to material as well as lives. A big advantage of a hygiene cable gland, therefore, is the fact that it can significantly reduce downtime, which can otherwise cost thousands of dollars. The investment in a hygiene gland therefore, clearly, far outweighs the benefits offered.
In addition, what is required of hygienic cable glands is that they be resistant to harmful bacteria. The importance of this cannot be stated enough. As a food or beverage manufacturer, you simply cannot afford the contamination of the products, which in turn can cause people to fall ill after consuming it. In fact, bacteria can very quickly accumulate on foods, with some strains of bacteria being particularly fatal. Should this accumulation happen on the food processing machinery, it could mean a range of things, the less sinister of them being costly product recalls. On the other hand, if the contamination is potentially life threatening, it can lead to many other issues including irreversible damage to company reputation.
Since a typical cable gland design has a number of grooves where dirt etc. can accumulate, hygienic cable glands also involve having no gaps and edges. This will ensure that there is no scope of residue and therefore chance of buildup of bacteria in the gaps. This involves having a design that eliminates crevices and thereby making sure that cleaning is far easier and there is little scope of any contamination.
Cable glands for food safety also need to comply with FDA guidelines, making them suitable for contact with food. The glands need to come with superior corrosion protection and have high ingress protection ratings. The glands also need to be manufactured using high quality material that can withstand high temperatures that the food processing industry could be subject to.
To sum up, the choice of a hygiene cable gland for the food industry needs to be made basis the following factors:
- First up, it needs to be anti-corrosive and resistant to bacteria so that it does not compromise the safety of the food product.
- It should stand up to stringent wash down conditions and resist the chemicals used in the food industry.
- It needs to have rounded edges without exterior threading that ensures that food particles do not stick to it.
- It should have a precision fit so that any potential gaps are closed.
- The material needs to be FDA approved.
Clearly then the three things to watch out for when it comes to cable glands for food safety are the choice of material, its precision fit as well as its smooth design. What you need is a reliable manufacturer who is fully sensitized to these requirements and has extensive industry experience to be able to deliver state-of-the-art products.
We manufacture & distribute a range of Cable Glands and accessories that are being used successfully used in a wide variety of industries. Some of the industries that we cater to include oil refineries, food industry, petrochemical, water treatment, mines and quarries and many others.
With over three decades of experience in the industry, we take great pride in being able to offer bespoke solutions for a range of highly complex applications. Request for a quick quote to get a wide range of Industrial Cable Glands!
