Posted to News on 10th Sep 2019, 06:51
New servo motors and HMIs for food and pharmacetical projects
Food and pharmaceutical makers can better protect the integrity of their products using new hygienic industrial control hardware from Rockwell Automation. The Allen-Bradley Kinetix VPH hygienic servo motors and stainless-steel versions of the Allen-Bradley PanelView Plus 7 graphic terminal both help minimise contamination during production and ease compliance.
The stainless-steel PanelView terminal can be used on a machine in a 'splash' or contaminant zone without the need to be covered or isolated. This helps protect product quality and simplifies the cleaning processes, while removing obstructions to the human-machine interface (HMI), so operators can better monitor production.
Dan Henneberry, business manager at Rockwell Automation, comments: "In food and beverage manufacturing, demand for more product varieties is creating a need for smaller, more flexible machines with the HMI located in close proximity to the process. The stainless-steel version of our PanelView Plus 7 terminal stands up to the rigours of contamination and cleaning to make this possible."
The product is claimed to be the industry's first general-purpose HMI terminal that is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). It has an ingress-protection rating of IP69K to support high-pressure, high-temperature chemical washdowns. It also uses a food-grade silicone gasket with a distinct blue colour to help production workers notice if it has been damaged and needs to be replaced.
Stainless servo motors
The new Kinetix VPH hygienic servo motors can improve machine reliability while enhancing consumer safety by meeting stringent hygienic standards. The hygienic design - including high-grade stainless-steel housing and a smooth surface - can withstand washdowns and reduce the risk of contamination.
Wendy Du, product manager at Rockwell Automation, states: "Some servo motors can fail just weeks after they are exposed to cleaning and sanitising agents. Alternatively, motors can be covered and protected during the cleaning process; but that creates a lengthier cleaning process and can introduce contamination risks. Our new hygienic servo motors make cleaning and sanitisation easier and more efficient to help reduce machine downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness."
The servo motors are designed per the EHEDG and 3-A sanitary standards and are IP69K rated and NSF certified. They seamlessly integrate with the Allen-Bradley Kinetix 5500 and 5700 servo drive platform, using single-cable technology to help optimise a machine's speed and accuracy. And they are available in a range of sizes and options to help meet a variety of application needs in food and pharmaceutical production.
Follow the links for more information about the new Allen-Bradley Kinetix VPH hygienic servo motors and stainless-steel PanelView Plus 7 graphic terminals.
