- Offers no contact surfaces for contamination
- All seals are closed without gaps
Wherever food products are being processed, hygiene is a top priority. To ensure compliance with hygiene standards, production facilities are treated with strong cleaning and disinfecting agents under strict regulations. Cables, connectors and cable glands are also subjected to severe loads and must withstand these aggressive agents. 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 cable manufacturers can use to test their products.What tests does Ecolab carry out?
Ecolab carries out tests on products to check their resistance to certain chemicals used in the cleaning of food production machinery. If the products pass these tests, they are colloquially referred to as Ecolab-certified.
LAPP's range also includes Ecolab-approved cables, cable glands and protective cable conduits, for example, those which are particularly suitable for environments subject to heavy use, e.g. by chemical cleaners.
Manufacturers use these tests to demonstrate that their cables, connectors or cable glands are passively resistant to the necessary cleaning processes and do not release any contaminating emissions.
A large number of our LAPP products have already been tested according to the Ecolab test method R&D/P3-E No. 40-1 (based on 9-2014). We thereby ensure that our products can withstand the cleaning requirements in your application areas for the long term.
What Ecolab tests are available?
Whether cable, cable gland or connector, for a successful Ecolab test they must all be fully immersed in six different test solutions for 28 days (current Ecolab test conditions according to test method 40-1 for the material suitability test):
Test solution for
- alkaline, surfactant-containing cleaning
- acidic, surfactant-containing cleaning
- alkaline cleaning/disinfection containing active chlorine
- acidic, oxidative disinfection
- neutral disinfection and
- deionised water
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, color changes and defects such as cracks or abrasion of the material, or color 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 side, both the test solution and the conventional cable gland made of brass are not resistant to the special cleaning agent and have had chemical reactions within the test solution. Our special SKINTOP® HYGIENIC or SKINTOP® INOX cable glands, on the other hand, have passed the Ecolab test and remain unchanged in the test solution even after 28 days. They are therefore resistant to "P3-topax 52".
Why is the Ecolab test important for products from hygiene-critical areas?
Reliable and uninterrupted 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, certain cable glands could corrode or cable insulation could swell. The components then could lose some or all of their functionality. Fragments of defective components could end up in the production materials or chemicals could emit from the plastics of the components. This results in hazardous situations for both employees and consumers that you as a manufacturer must avoid.
Tip: Use products with the Ecolab test mark in your production facilities. This ensures that they are resistant to numerous cleaning agents and disinfectants used in your industrial operation and can be used almost without hesitation.
Which LAPP products with the Ecolab test mark are available?
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.
SKINTOP® INOX
Benefits of our SKINTOP®-HYGIENIC cable gland
Design advantages
- Has a molded seal with a radius over the connection thread instead of an o-ring
- Blue sealing ring under the cap nut
- Specially shaped conduit sealing ring for cable
- Smooth surfaces and no edges
Complies with Ecolab specifications
Fulfills the Ecolab specifications regarding resistance to cleaning agents and disinfectants.
Blue color in the food industry
Did you know that there are no raw materials in nature with a blue color 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 above-mentioned cable gland SKINTOP® HYGIENIC with Ecolab test mark and EHEDG certificate, we also have our cable gland SKINTOP®-INOX in our range for you.
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.
But that's not all: we can also offer you a whole range of products that are not specifically labeled as HYGIENIC products or Ecolab-approved for use in food production. In particular, our classic ÖLFLEX® ROBUST, a series of cables that can easily withstand the cleaning loads in hygiene-critical areas.
The same applies to a wide range of accessories and cables made of PVC, TPE or PUR, some of which are also Ecolab tested.