IP69 does not guarantee trouble-free use in the food sector

In the food sector, a hygienic and food-safe environment is essential. This is why there are many components on the market, developed specifically for this sector. Yet not all components that are suitable on paper are so in practice. Vladimir Dragosavic discusses a number of concerns. He works as an international training manager for Euchner in Germany and is a member of several standards committees. He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of machine safety and enjoys sharing his ideas in constructive discussions.

In the food sector, it is important that products contain as few cavities or holes as possible to prevent dirt and/or bacteria from accumulating in them. These areas are also much more difficult to clean. Products with smooth surfaces and fasteners suitable for the food industry are therefore preferred," Dragosavic begins. In addition, a high IP rating is important. "Yet you should not 100% rely on products with the highest IP degree automatically removing all headaches," Dragosavic states. He explains this. "Everyone in the industry talks about IP protection ratings (Ingress Protection Rating). The higher the first digit (1-6), the more resistant the product is to penetration of particles (6=dust). The higher the second digit (0-9), the more resistant it is to water penetration. Components are tested with clean water, without detergents or chemicals. There's a catch there already. The food industry frequently uses detergents and additives that the component manufacturer will not have tested, since he does not know what products the industry adds to the water."

There are 4 bodies related to regulation in the food sector important: ECOLAB (Economics Laboratory), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), NSF (National Sanitary Foundation) and EU-Regulation (No. 10 / 2011). "A component manufacturer may decide to produce its components in accordance with what one or more of the above bodies prescribe, by ensuring proper smoothness, absence of cavities and the like. However, complying with the regulations does not mean that a company is certified. This requires additional steps to be taken, which often cost a lot of time and money. In practice, manufacturers offer products in compliance with regulations. It is assumed that what is prescribed is effectively complied with. One hundred percent certainty is not available because of this."

"For the food sector, the first digit of the IP rating is not very important," Dragosavic said. "If you provide a component with a seal or o-ring, then dust no longer penetrates. Water or liquids are a much more important concern. To determine the IP rating, testing procedures are performed. To meet the IP69 test, the component must withstand a jet of high pressure and high temperature. For example, small products must withstand a jet of water at 0.9-N (90 bar) and a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius (+/- 5) for 30 seconds with a distance of 10-15 centimeters. And there again lies a catch. In practice, high-pressure cleaners are often used with additives. If stubborn dirt is not easy to clean, there is a tendency to push the end of the pressure washer all the way against the dirty spot, which can result in pressures of 200 bar or higher. And that kind of situation is not tested by the manufacturers of machines and components. In principle, a pressure washer should never be placed directly against components, but cleaners do not take this into account, causing components to break down after all. It is important to explicitly instruct the user of a high-pressure cleaner on what he may and may not do, otherwise things are bound to go wrong."

"We therefore do something extra," Dragosavic states. "While our products - Euchner manufactures various components for process control - are tested to IP69, on top of that we perform additional tests where we do spray with the tip of the neck into the cavity, seal or connector. That way we have an even better sense of what we are putting on the market, so that our products can also withstand the improper use of high-pressure systems."