Rittal guide to HD enclosures for Food and Beverage Industry

The hygiene regulations that govern this sector of manufacturing are contained within various EU directives, and are necessarily stringent to protect public health. Breaches can prove expensive, and this new guide may be useful for machine designers working on food production line projects, especially if they include enclosures which are housing or protecting electrical equipment on them. These enclosures, because of their design characteristics, are commonly known as "Hygienic Design' enclosures (HD).

Rittal says that users should note that while there is an obligation for hygiene standards to be met, the directives and standards that bind the industry do not advise users about how to judge an enclosure's suitability to be in such an environment. Without standardised and recognised guidance, enclosure manufacturers, together with systems engineers, mechanical engineers and end users, must make their own decisions as to the type of hygienic design that should be employed. So in response, Rittal has now published this White Paper outlining the characteristics of an HD enclosure. It considers:

• Suitable materials and surfaces, in terms of cleaning, corrosion, etc
• Connection systems, including seals and seams
• Angles and corners for easy washdown and the avoidance of accumulated contaminants
• How to avoid penetration into the circuitry, not least by water ingress
• Testing procedures to demonstrate the suitability of an enclosure for a food production line

Rittal states that its range of HD enclosures is designed to make them quick and easy to clean: they can withstand power washing while maintaining a fully watertight environment for the electrical components within them. Follow the link to download the white paper on HD Enclosure Design from Rittal.