Hygienic drives for meat processor

Cargill Beef Australian - part of the global Cargill group with 120,000 employees and operations in 20 countries - adopted Bonfiglioli W and A series (worm and helical bevel) drives featuring enhanced hygiene and corrosion-resistance specifications for its food, beverage and liquid handling applications.

More than 100 of the rugged, hard-working drives with selected EP (enhanced protection) features were installed in a major expansion of the boning room, which operates three shifts a day. Driven by 3 kW electric motors, also with EP features, the W drives provide up to 800 Nm torque and the A drives provide up to 14,000 Nm required for belt conveyors at chain conveyors.

The expansion of the Wagga plant was focused on customers in key export markets and in Australia, with upgrades including a new boning room, carcass sortation coolers, a boxed beef handling system and chilling and freezing systems, as well as new environmental handling systems.

In opening the expanded plant, Cargill expressed its commitment to being the global leader in food safety, product quality, technology and customer service with a firm belief that operational excellence creates customer satisfaction.

"Bonfiglioli shared this philosophy by providing EP drives with features especially suited to vital hygiene and safety functions, such as ease of washdown," said Bonfiglioli Transmission (Australia) Pty Ltd managing director, Malcolm Lewis.

Manufactured for optimum oil-tightness and ease of washdown of exterior surfaces, the units are designed for installation in close proximity to production and packing processes without the need for screening by cabinets or guards.

Constructed with extensive use of stainless steel for food and liquid contact areas, the EP series are available with a number of different surface preparations including enamel and epoxy painting.

All units used at Cargill feature: stainless steel hollow shaft (AISI 316); stainless steel nameplate and most mounting hardware; oil seals with stainless steel inner spring; unvented plugs for oil tightness and prevention of lubricant contamination; button plugs for unused mounting holes; and motors selected from a range extending from 0.12 to 4 kW, in compact and IEC types, with two, four and six poles.

Optional PX oil seals are offered for arduous environments where frequent washdowns occur, often with high-pressure hot water and sanitising agents.

EP drives can be factory filled with food-grade synthetic lubricant (classified UH1 by the USDA), which not only extends the application range from temperatures of -25 to 150°C, but which also does not require periodical oil changes.

All W series drives feature enhanced mounting versatility through having five machined sides, while a motor spline adapter permits easier and quicker motor changes. Ease of installation and replacement is further enhanced by the W series being dimensionally interchangeable with Bonfiglioli's VF/A and VF/V styles, using simple bolt-on KA and KV kits. Hygiene is enhanced by through-holes in the casing, which minimise water entrapment, facilitating hosedown cleaning for applications such as food processing, materials handling and packaging.