4 Critical Areas to Evaluate When Selecting a Hygienic Gearbox
Bacteria and pathogens can easily compromise production. Food and beverages must be thrown away if they become contaminated, costing thousands of dollars in lost product, and bacteria and pathogens can also cause employees to become sick, limiting resources for production. These harmful particles can collect on gearboxes as well. In this episode of STOBER’s Power Tips, I’ll discuss 4 Critical Areas to Evaluate When Selecting a Hygienic Gearbox.
First, does the gearbox have harborage points, where bacteria can cluster on a surface and grow?
Square edges can allow bacteria to gather and expand. Couplings, belts, chains, and guards also have many niches and grooves, allowing for bacteria to go undetected. STOBER’s KSS features rounded edges on the housing, which means no harborage points for bacteria. Plus, you can direct-drive the gearbox and eliminate unnecessary components.
Second, what types of certifications does your gearbox have?
EHEDG, IP, and USDA are all sources for determining how hygienic a gearbox is. STOBER gearobxes are IP69K Certified and are USDA Accepted Equipment.
Third, what type of design considerations are made to prevent premature failure?
Harsh cleanings often result in water ingress, compromising seal and bearing life. STOBER gearboxes feature double output seals and long life input seals to prevent oil leaks and water ingress, which are leading causes of failure.
The fourth critical area to evaluate when selecting a hygienic gearbox is what type of leadtime will you have?
Does it take weeks or even months to get your stainless steel solution? Stainless steel production can be time consuming as it is more complicated than standard iron. There are also fewer suppliers capable of doing stainless steel production. It can be a challenge for manufacturers to have stock to meet demand, but STOBER has the ability to build and ship in one day, eliminating lead time issues!
STOBER offers the cleanest gearbox on the market. Our hygienic KSS features an all-stainless steel housing, output, and hardware. It can handle the harshest washdowns and sanitation, allowing for cleaning to a microbiological level. In fact, we were the first to offer a stainless steel gearbox! Plus, our gearbox is compatible with several stainless steel servo motors and NEMA motors. Pair the two together for a clean system!
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