ECOLAB®

Wherever foodstuffs are being processed, hygiene is a top priority. To ensure compliance with hygiene standards, production facilities are treated with strong cleaning and disinfection agents under strict regulations. Cables, plugs and cable glands are also subjected to severe loads and must withstand these aggressive media. But how can this be tested and what should you consider when selecting cable glands and cables for the food industry? You can find this information and more in our article.

What is ECOLAB®?

ECOLAB® is a global leader in the development and marketing of high-quality products in the field of industrial cleaning and hygiene. For cleaning and disinfecting food and beverage technology processing equipment, ECOLAB® offers a full range of cleaning agents and EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) registered cleaners and disinfectants. These are suitable for cleaning in place (CIP), cleaning out of place (COP), outer foam or manual cleaning.

However, ECOLAB® is not just a manufacturer of its own products, but also one of the leading standards institutes for hygiene-critical industrial sectors. Among other things, the company offers a testing service that enables cable manufacturers to certify their products.

What is the ECOLAB® certificate / ECOLAB® certification?

What is known as the ECOLAB® certification or ECOLAB® certificate is issued by the company of the same name for products that are resistant to certain chemicals used for cleaning the machinery used in food production.

LAPP also has cables, cable glands and protective cable conduits with ECOLAB® certification in its range, which are particularly suitable for heavy-duty environments subject to e.g. chemical cleaning agents.

With the certificate for their cables, connectors or cable glands, manufacturers can demonstrate that these have a passive resistance to the necessary cleaning processes without generating pollutant emissions.

Many of our LAPP products have already been tested and certified according to the ECOLAB® test method F&E/P3-E No. 40-1 (based on 9-2014). We thereby ensure that our products can withstand the cleaning requirements in your application areas in the long term.

How do products receive the ECOLAB® certificate?

Whether you're testing a cable, conduit gland or plug connection, a successful ECOLAB® certification requires that these be placed in six different test solutions for 28 days each (current ECOLAB® test conditions according to test method 40-1 for the material suitability test):

Within the specified time period, the test samples are checked every two days for visual changes. In addition to the changes to the product itself, such as a swollen or brittle surface, colour changes and defects such as cracks or abrasion of the material, colour changes to the test solution itself are also precisely recorded.

For example, in the image below you can see two cable glands of our SKINTOP® product brand in a P3-topax 52 test solution, which is a liquid, acidic foam cleaning agent for use on stainless steel in the food industry.

The image shows that on the left-hand side, both the test solution and the conventional cable gland made of brass and not resistant to the special cleaning agent have had chemical reactions within the test solution. By contrast, our special SKINTOP® HYGIENIC or SKINTOP® INOX cable glands with ECOLAB® certification remain unchanged in the test solution even after 28 days and are therefore resistant to "P3-topax 52".

Why is the ECOLAB® certificate important for products in hygiene-critical areas?

Reliable and uninterruptible production operations are essential in the food and beverage industry, as a standstill in the processing of perishable foodstuffs can lead to high costs as a result of disposal and restarting production. In a worst-case scenario, even the health of consumers could be put at risk.

The use of special cleaning agents and disinfectants is essential to maintain the hygiene quality, so components that can withstand these sometimes aggressive agents in the long term must be used.

If unsuitable components are used, cable glands, for example, could corrode and cable insulations could swell. The components then lose some or all of their functionality. Fragments of defective components could end up in the production materials or chemicals could evaporate from the plastics of the components. This results in hazardous situations for employees and consumers that you, as a manufacturer, must avoid.

Tip: If you rely on products with ECOLAB® certification for your production facilities, make sure that they are resistant to a wide range of cleaning agents and disinfectants used in your industrial operation and can therefore be used without concern.

Which LAPP products are available with an ECOLAB® certificate?

The products that have become particularly robust against regular contact with chemical cleaning agents, for example, include our SKINTOP® HYGIENIC or SKINTOP® INOX cable glands.  These are based on the general design principles of DIN EN 1672-2 for the food industry and are certified according to the latest EHEDG test.

Benefits of our SKINTOP®-HYGIENIC conduit gland

Blue colour in the food industry

Did you know that there are no raw materials in nature with a blue colour as intense as that of our plastics for products in the food industry?

This makes it easier to detect a piece of plastic that has fallen into the foodstuff and avoid major damage at an early stage.

In addition to the aforementioned cable gland SKINTOP®-HYGIENIC with ECOLAB® certificate and EHEDG certificate, we also offer our SKINTOP®-INOX cable gland in our product range.

Our SILVYN®-FG NM protective cable conduit hides cables in the hygienic area excellently for you and banishes expensive stainless-steel pipes for the installation of cables in the hygienic zone from your facilities. All products meet ECOLAB® requirements and are particularly dirt-repellent and resistant to a wide range of cleaning agents and disinfectants.