Stainless steel in the food industry and clean room sector
Special requirements for logistical transport equipment - why it must be made of stainless steel
Hygiene and cleanliness are the be-all and end-all in certain industries. Wherever hygiene- or health-sensitive goods are handled nowadays or products are manufactured in a sterile environment, the special regulations for hygiene or clean room areas apply. These standards require the use of stainless steel industrial trucks for intralogistics. The aim of this equipment is to avoid the dangers of contamination due to corrosion or contamination, which are caused by conventional industrial trucks in daily use.
Where are industrial trucks such as a stainless steel pallet truck or stainless steel forklift used?
Particularly in open production facilities and areas - i.e., where the goods in question appear openly - very close attention must be paid to compliance with the applicable regulations. For example, production or logistics areas in which special hygiene regulations apply are usually found in the food industry or in cleanroom areas:
- in the food industry: food production, beverage industry, cold stores, slaughterhouses, dairies, bakeries, commercial kitchens, and many more.
- in the cleanroom sector: pharmaceutical industry, laboratories, healthcare (e.g. clinics), electrical industry (e.g. semiconductor production), and many more.
- Industries that handle special substances: Chemical industry, companies producing or processing hazardous substances, and many more.
Which legal regulations or standards apply in hygienic operating areas?
For the use of industrial trucks in hygienically sensitive areas, several legal standards apply which, particularly with stainless steel, decisively define the surface quality of, for example, a lift truck or a forklift:
EN 1672-1 and EN 1672-2 for the food sector
These two standards are often part of a company's HACCP concept and regulate the essential hygiene properties of machines in the food industry. The surface of this equipment must be corrosion-resistant and antibacterial; this property is also often referred to as "food-safe". This is to minimize the risk to food from contamination. In addition, the two standards EN 1672-1 and EN 1672-2 also take into account the operating materials belonging to the machines. For this reason, logistical transport equipment such as a lift truck must also have a stainless steel surface and be equipped with a hydraulic oil that is harmless to health.
ISO 14159 for the clean room area
The ISO 14159 standard defines the regulations for the use of machines in hygienic areas such as the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry and other cleanroom areas. Similar to the food sector, the aim here is to prevent contamination of hygienically sensitive goods in the sterile environment through the use of stainless steel in floor conveyors in subsequent use.
ATEX 2014/34/EU for potentially explosive atmospheres, e.g. in the hazardous materials industry
his directive provides for the devices used to become a so-called "explosion-proof variant" by means of a special coating of the stainless steel surface. Such devices then no longer pose a risk of flying sparks and consequently no longer pose an explosion hazard, which is particularly imperative in the gas industry or in dust-intensive areas such as mills.
What stainless steel lifting and transport equipment is available?
Stainless Steel Pallet Truck
Stainless steel pallet trucks are generally used for the quick and easy transport of palletized goods in hygienic areas. They basically have the same properties as conventional pallet trucks, which means they are also considered all-rounders. Depending on the logistical task for which a stainless steel pallet truck is needed - with the stainless steel pallet trucks, electric pallet trucks, cradle pallet trucks and scissor lifts, Staplerlift offers you the ideal product for handling hygienically sensitive goods.
Stainless Steel Stacker
Working at great heights is also often required in hygienic areas or in an explosion-proof environment. A platform lift, hand stacker or electric stacker made of stainless steel enables, for example, the storage of open foodstuffs in shelved warehouses or of goods in very dusty areas. In terms of operation, stainless steel stackers do not differ from the usual models made of powder-coated steel.
Stainless steel lift tables
Mobile stainless steel lift tables are particularly suitable for working at an ergonomic working height when special hygiene standards have to be met. For example, a mobile stainless steel lift table facilitates the charging or filling of open production facilities in the food industry when the safe feeding of ingredients or substances is only possible from a certain height.
What special properties do stainless steel logistics equipment and machinery bring to the table?
Stainless steel has a number of properties that make it ideal for use in hygienic areas. Compared to the materials commonly used in industrial trucks, stainless steel offers significant advantages:
- For the food industry with specification AISI 3044 - V2A "stainless steel food grade" or W No. 1401 "stainless steel food grade".
- Easy to clean surface - even with aggressive cleaning agents
- Sterile, antibacterial surface - metal ions destroy biological organisms
- High corrosion resistance to water, water vapor and air humidity
- High acid resistance to edible acids, as well as weak organic and inorganic acids
In addition, operating materials and components for equipment used in the food industry or cleanroom areas are characterized by certain hygienic properties, which are decisively defined in the applicable standards:
- Hydraulic oils and lubricants that are harmless to health, e.g. hydraulic oil of specification NSF-H1
- Tires with high abrasion and impact resistance, as well as resistance to acids and oils - e.g. made of nylon
These properties, which are decisively laid down in the well-known guidelines and standards, contribute to the highest degree to the required hygiene standards in the food and cleanroom sector.
What must be considered when using stainless steel industrial trucks?
In principle, stainless steel floor conveyors should only be used for transporting wooden or plastic pallets. Use with iron mesh boxes, iron pallets or similar load carriers should be avoided, as this could damage the stainless steel surface. Further use in hygienic areas should no longer take place in the event of such damage, as the hygienic properties of the stainless steel surface are no longer sufficiently given.
After each use, it is generally recommended to clean the device with clear water so that the corrosion protection remains optimally intact for as long as possible.
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