igus UK has developed two new food-grade polymer bearing materials - iglidur A181 and iglidur A160 - that are compliant with both the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) specification for repeated contact with food and the EU 10/2011 Directive. As a result, food manufacturers can produce food to the highest standards while increasing the reliability of their process.
The EU 10/2011 regulation on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food stuffs was introduced to cover materials produced by modern technology and manufacturing processes such as plastics. Food manufactures can be sure that both the iglidur A181 and iglidur A160 plastic bearings do not contain any ingredients that can cause harm if ingested, nor can they deteriorate or change the composition of food. The bearings are coloured blue which allows them to be easily detected in case any particles enter the production line.
These new bearings are suitable for all food and drink processing and preparation equipment, and can also improve machine performance. The iglidur A181 bearing material has good resistance to chemicals and can be used universally in a variety of applications, and the iglidur A160 bearing boasts very high chemical resistance as well as being cost effective. Equally, the bearings are wear resistant and lubricant and maintenance free, therefore increasing reliability.
These new bearing materials are available in various diameters from 6mm up to 20mm from stock and are tested for millions of cycles in real-world applications and environments.
To watch a short animated video of the new iglidur A181 and iglidur A160 food-grade bearings visit www.igus.co.uk/plasticbearingsforfoodsector.