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Rotary Solutions for Worldwide
For over 30 years, the expert engineers at MOFLON Technologies have supported clients in the food & beverage sector get the most out of the processing of dairy, pet foodstuffs, pickling, wines & spirits, sauces, and many more.
We have accomplished this by first paying keen attention to our customers’ requirements and considering their diverse operating conditions before designing a sealing solution that is appropriate for their unique needs.
In this guidebook, we shall discuss slip rings and rotary unions for the food and beverage industry, wine bottling, stainless steel cable reels, bottle washing & cleaning systems, rotary grills, vegetable processing, pharmaceutical blending & mixing systems, bottle capping systems, and rotary filling systems.
Contents
Chapter 1: Slip Rings for the Food & Beverage Industry
Chapter 2: Bottle Washing &Cleaning Systems
Chapter 3: Rotary Filling Systems
Chapter 5: Pharmaceutical Blending & Mixing Systems
Chapter 6: Stainless Steel Cable Reels
Chapter 1
A slip ring is an electromechanical equipment that facilitates the transfer of electrical power and signals from a static to a moving system while a rotary union/rotary joint/swivel is a precision machine that facilitates the transmission of fluids from a static to a rotating system. MOFLON slip rings and rotary unions are designed to offer flexible, cost-effective, dependable, and superior solutions, and they are manufactured in numerous standard designs. We also provide customized solutions that meet your precise requirements.
Government laws require the food and beverage industries to strictly follow some procedures regarding cleanliness, health, safety, and environmental morals. MOFLON Technologies provides proven food & beverage sealing products for all sorts of packaging and processing uses clean media transmission, bottles laundry, filling and capping, and other industry solutions designed for food & beverage, dairy, wines & spirits, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and personal care.
At the centre of the food and beverage industries, slip rings facilitate the transfer of power from fixed to rotating parts. They are applied in all food & beverage devices that require power and signal conductivity. As a result, slip rings significantly affect machine reliability, functioning, and efficiency.
MOFLON slip rings can be designed to meet dynamic customer needs, ranging from electrical current, communications activities and working temperatures to demanding mechanical vibrations and shock constraints.
Apart from the food and beverage industry, slip rings and rotary joints are also applied in semiconductor manufacturing machines, energy, factory automation devices, agriculture, and construction equipment.
In the recent past, sensors have been embraced on a large scale across various sectors including the food & beverage industry, championed by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0, where significant quantities of data are gathered and shared between linked machines. These connected devices assist businesses to enhance their productivity and effectiveness by facilitating real-time surveillance and regulation.
The connectivity factor within the food & beverage industry is driving invention at the device level, and particularly, slip rings solutions for current and signal transmission. Although it is all about automation, the Industrial IoT factor is driving the demand for slip rings, which have superior signal transfer and bandwidth rates and faster signal properties, such as Ethernet.
This new trend eventually translates into the demand to design and produce electrical slip rings which can handle both electrical current and data, while offering high signal integrity via enhanced RF & EMI methods.
One of the primary aspects that MOFLON takes into consideration during slip ring designing is the type of sliding surface/brush type. Various parameters like power, voltage, spinning rate, working temperature, resistance difference, bandwidth, and impendence, greatly determine the selection of the transfer technique, based on current or data requirements. Generally, there are three types of brushes available: graphite, monofilament, and polyfilament brushes.
A composite sliding contact comprises of carbon graphite content, though other materials may be added to improve power density. It is mainly used in the transmission of current to motors and in use cases which call for more power and higher speeds.
A monofilament sliding contact is primarily applied in lower power use cases that require low sliding resistance and a clean signal conductor. Lastly, polyfilament sliding contacts are applicable in use cases that require numerous channels and slightly minimal sliding resistance and brush noise, demanding high signal rate, real-time regulation applications, and over-sensitive analog data signals.
The three types of brushes are supplied with trade-offs, based on the use. For current, the primary selection determinant is not the current at load, but rather the current drop along the slip ring and the real power flow. Power drop influences the actual voltage in the load and the entire power being transmitted in the device.
During slip ring design, our engineers consider various aspects based on the use. These aspects comprise RF shielding, diversified signal capacity, sliding resistance, and high-frequency impedance toning. Other significant considerations are working temperature, slip ring lifespan, environmental elements, and packaging restrictions.
The toughest challenge in products with super bandwidth needs is electromagnetic interference (EMI). As the food & beverage sector exploits the internet space more, Ethernet & Ethernet-type signals must transfer both current and data via the devices. These signals are hyper-sensitive to external electrical interloping, especially from power cables, which can create EMI in motors.
This calls for the right RF design skills to certify that EMI does not negatively influence signal integrity. MOFLON uses appropriate RF shielding methods and physical separation between EMI bases to eliminate the interloping from adjacent sources.
The shield must have a distinct cable in the device to complete the power assembly between the rotor and stator shield. The discrete cable enables the shield power to move in the appropriate path to the surface.
Chapter 2
Bottle washing processes are mandatory in the food & beverage industry for packaging standards and safety reasons. In other cases, bottle washing can be carried out for aesthetic motives or solely at the wish of the packager. Whichever the reason, there exist numerous forms in which containers can be washed and different types of equipment to perform this function.
Container washing equipment can utilize air, water, and types of fluids to wash, rinse, and sanitize bottles prior to packaging. Air is often applied to blow rubbish from bottles. Some rinsing equipment turn containers upside down before blowing air inside, permitting dust and other debris to get out even before blowing begins. Other washing devices comprise of a bottle vacuum, which doesn’t turn bottles, but instead flashes them with air before vacuuming out the free contents.
Water and other rinsing fluids can also be applied in bottle cleaning. Inverted wet rinsers apply the same method as inverted air rinsers, turning containers upside down and flashing them with rinsing reagents that wipe away all dirty.
Some uses, like those employing five-gallon media containers, will also require bottle washing machines to clean containers for re-use. Washing reagents are typically mixed with rinsing and cleaning cycles for a thorough and hygienic sanitization that goes beyond the necessary extraction of dust and other remnants.
Container washing equipment can handle both the inside and outside parts of bottles, while some packaging machines perform both roles. Food & beverage stuff, pharmaceuticals, and other edible components always employ rinsing devices to clean the inside parts, preventing the exposure of the inside parts to contaminants.
Some machines only wash the outside due to the nature of the bottles, and some containers display dust more than others. The mechanism of some packaging machines let remnants collect on the bottom of the bottles. Whichever the reason, a container cleaner can also wash the outside surface, to prevent dust gathering on the retail stores.
Container washing equipment, bottle vacuums, and container cleaners are available in various automation levels. Nevertheless, for applications that don’t require significant processing demands, semi-automatic bottle washing machines enable users to wash one or two containers simultaneously.
Meeting the problems of less space and high performance, MOFLON’s products for bottle washing and rinsing machines tackle every project’s demands, providing reliable and effective bottle cleaning services before liquid filling, capping, classification, and packaging processes. We manufacturer exclusive high efficient fluid rotary swivels and rotary control valve solutions designed for transmitting gases, liquids, and other types of media.
Chapter 3
Once manufacturing demands surpass the volume of inline indexed filling equipment, the most effective systems require rotary filling devices.
Rotary fillers range from as few as ten heads to as big as specified, at times reaching several hundreds of filling heads for high-speed activities. Besides, some rotary liquid filling equipment can be integrated with dual-modal or tri-modal monoblock systems that comprise of rinser-filler-cappers.
It is advisable to use a standard sized cap and neck finish for all sizes of bottles filled since change components and changeover period is quite expensive, and shots with an increase in speed.
There are various types of rotary filling systems, like pressure filling machines, gravity filling machines, piston filling equipment, carbonated beverage fillers, and canning filling machines. There are also several varieties of designs like neck supporting for water containers, diving nozzles, to the brim fillers, and hot fill design.
Nevertheless, all rotary fillers have several standard features. For instance, all rotary fillers have starwheels that are designed for every sized container to position them below the filling head and also to remove the container and take it back to the system. In some cases, the infeed starwheel is choke fed, demanding sensors to ensure there is sufficient backlog of containers preventing jams. But in most instances, the containers are positioned and timed with an infeed screw that acts as an additional change part.
Standard bottler fillers are not changed to accommodate various fill sizes; instead they are modified to accommodate the smallest neck size containers. Additionally, it is good to have similar neck finishes for all the bottles. Still, operators can encounter slower processing speeds, which are prevalent in instances of ½ neck finish designs on small containers.
Chapter 4
One of the significant benefits of bottle capping machines- automatic, semi-automatic, and manual capping devices- is consistency in the capping activity. What is the essence of consistent capping? Think of purchasing a dozen of bottled juice from your favourite supermarket.
Now assume four of the caps were not tightened well, and by the time you arrive at your destination, you find juice all over your vehicle. Besides, you realize that you need a pliers to open the remaining bottles.
I am sure you will buy another brand of juice the next time you go shopping. Thus, though many people do not think of the consistency brought by capping devices, it can leave a great impact on repeat incidences.
Automatic capping devices usually provide the most consistency compared to the other machines. Consistency is realized with the application of an automatic cap delivery method and easy capper modifications, which are done before the capping process starts.
Automatic capping equipment utilizes cap elevators and sorting bowl to supply caps and ensure that they are appropriately positioned for all bottles passing through the machine. Inappropriately oriented caps are excluded and send to the sorting device for re-orientation.
When the cap is put on the container, the capping device seals them with nearly the same rotating force for each container. Different modifications are done based on the kind of capping device used, but virtually all appropriate and routine adjustments comprise of rotating knobs or pressing buttons. Automatic capping systems are well known for their high consistency and speeds.
Most semi-automatic capping devices operate in the same way as automatic capping systems. The primary difference is the lack of an automatic cap supply method. Instead of employing cap elevators and cap sorting bowls, semi-automatic cappers carry out the manual placing of caps on the containers before initiating the packaging process.
Although caps are manually placed, these machines still provide consistency in the force exerted to the caps and achieve a recurrent seal as containers move along the chain. Some semi-automatic capping machines resemble table-top machines, while others have portable frames. Semi-automatic capping machines can still deliver high speeds and consistency since they eliminate the process of hand-tightening every cap and bottle.
Manual cappers are also applied to achieve a consistent capping process. Workers of manual capping machines put the caps on the containers before holding the cappers above the caps. Usually, a trigger or pressure is used to stimulate the capper and tighten up the cap to attain a consistent seal.
The primary benefit of manual cappers is consistent delivered in the whole process. Speed may not be high in this type of cappers, but it depends on the capacity and number of operators involved. But, as highlighted in the introduction of this chapter, attaining a reliable capping process causes repeat purchases and improved product reputation.
Consistent bottle capping is essential in liquid packaging activities. MOFLON’s rotary joints are customized explicitly for each exclusive capping application offering bottlers and industries with an easily-incorporated, dependable, and cost-effective solution minimizing maintenance expenses for high-performance applications.
Chapter 5
Today’s pharmaceutical activities entail a wide variety of blending processes, with machines varying from simple liquid blenders to gum and stabilizer dispersers to complicated emulsion creators. MOFLON sealing solutions for the pharmaceutical blending and mixing tools meet all the stringent hygienic and safety guidelines.
Conventional batch processing constrains pharmaceutical industries to bear huge inventories and to install big machines. Increased capital and working expenditure minimize the overall profits of the business. Reliable production is known to run with less capital and operating costs.
Pharmaceutical blending and mixing processes are similar to other methods of the food & beverage industry, concerning plant and equipment applied. Regarding sealing solutions and material compatibility for pharmaceutical blending & mixing machines, the STAMPS aspect- size, temperature, application, media, pressure, and speed- is the primary determinant of delivering the right sealing products.
Size can at times be a constraint concerning the method of production and might eliminate some materials from the operation. MOFLON has solved this issue by inventing weightless slip rings and rotary unions that fit well in process with limited spaces.
Temperature is unquestionably an essential factor to consider while choosing the right material for the pharmaceutical blending and mixing systems. The temperatures generated by each part should be known (comprising of the lowest and highest ranges), and the average operating temperature of the whole machine.
It is also advisable to reflect on any heat produced by friction on dynamic rotary unions and slip rings applications. MOFLON sealing solutions can accommodate extreme temperatures typical in the pharmaceutical blending and mixing processes.
Application specifications are integral ingredients of any seal material choosing. Application specifications comprise of information concerning operation cycle, moving of interfacing surfaces, heating periods, operation periods, cooling durations, and other variables like the thermal reaction of parts during production. MOFLON produces custom sealing solutions that meet all the specific requirements of customers.
The type of media that the rotary unions interact with is essential. A comprehensive description of the media is necessary, comprising facts about the state (granules, liquid, and powder) and other modifications of state during production. MOFLON engineers work closely with pharmaceutical companies to understand their media requirements before designing any sealing product.
Pressure in most pharmaceutical sealing applications is not very essential in material choosing but is significant in comprehending the operation process since most applications swift between pressure and vacuum, which also affects the dynamic forces exerted on the rotary unions and slip rings.
Speed is an essential factor in material choosing since most sealing products entail a dynamic contact between two surfaces, such as between a spindle and stator.
Chapter 6
Cable reels are used to supply electrical power and signals for large mobile equipment. They are common in port and container cranes, and ship loaders. Slip rings are employed in cable reels to ensure steady conduction of power and data.
As a result of different operating conditions, the cable reels employed in various industries have individual specifications for vibration, anti-corrosion, water, and explosion-proof. Consequently, sealing solutions for cable reels must also attain specific vital standards.
The energy needed by heavy equipment is tremendous, hence cable reel slip rings must have large power capacities. MOFLON manufacturers large power slip rings with the ability to integrate seven circuits of 100A current, three channels of 10A current, and five circuits of data signals.
With the inclusion of stainless steel, the slip ring is corrosive resistance. In addition, our cable reel seals have high protection abilities to withstand odd environmental conditions, like rain.
Most MOFLON large current seals assume overhead designs and some custom designs contain cooling fans. Such models prevent the production of extreme heat, which may hinder the efficiency of the device during long running hours.
Besides, temperature regulation sensors can be incorporated within the slip ring to enable operators to monitor the working temperatures of the machine easily. The use of sensors will undoubtedly prevent accidents more efficiently.
Chapter 7
The sealing requirements in the food & beverage industry is possibly the most challenging of all. Slip ring and rotary joint failure can cause potential food and drug contamination. MOFLON sealing materials, both elastomer, and plastics can withstand various working conditions, including CIP and SIP.
We have also ensured that our products comply with the rising number of regional and global regulations, like the FDA and ISO.
With the ability to produce compliant sealing solutions per customer specifications, MOFLON products ensure a clean and effective fluid transmission. Apart from understanding customer needs, our engineers adhere to the proprietary nature of the food & beverage industry.
Visit our website today, and place your orders. Welcome to MOFLON Technologies where your money counts!
