Design hinges on finding the right hinge online
A
Southco product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Nov 26, 2002
In developing its latest line of grading machine ranges, food processing equipment giant Marel, turned to Southco for an innovative hinge solution.
In developing its latest line of grading machine ranges, food processing equipment giant Marel, turned to Southco for an innovative hinge solution.
In most industries today, the multitude of new regulations and standards imposed during recent years has lead to equipment manufacturers being faced with increasingly demanding challenges as they design and develop new equipment.
The food processing industry is no exception.
And like other industries where consumer and operator safety is of paramount importance, regulations and standards in the food industry are of the strictest level.
Today's food processing equipment manufacturers must develop machines that are not only safe for the user, but even more importantly, safe for the food that passes through them.
Equipment must be easy to clean and sterilise in order to prevent bacteria build-up.
It must also be corrosion resistant, and able to seal out contaminants, as well as be operator-friendly to help increase efficiency and operator safety.
Marel, one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of high-tech food processing equipment continually searches for new ways to overcome these challenges when designing and developing new processing equipment.
One of its best solutions is to partner with companies who specialise in critical areas of the equipment, especially the latches and access hardware.
When Marel recently began development of a new grading machine range, it realised that the design was very demanding on the access hardware used, specifically the hinges.
Consisting principally of stainless steel panels, the range features two hinged covers that protect the operator while the machine is working.
The covers are designed to provide quick and easy access to the interior of the machine for cleaning, protect against food infiltration, and withstand the working environment.
In this design, the hinges are the key operational points of the covers.
When in use, the hinges would be required to hold the panel in place when in its upright or opened position, as well as help control and slow the movement of the panel as the operator replaces it in its horizontal or closed position.
The covers must be constructed of durable materials that withstand frequent use and industrial cleaning solutions.
That means that the hinges, too, must meet these requirements.
"In order for the design to work, we had to find a hinge that is strong enough to withstand the acid and alkaline that are used to clean the equipment, and one that is durable enough to stand up to frequent use", says Arni Sigurdsson, Senior Mechanical Designer at Marel.
"That's why we turned to Southco".
Marel's engineering team used Southco's innovative online product configurator to help them find the best product for their application.
As the leading designer and manufacturer of latches and access hardware, Southco offers numerous product solutions for the food equipment industry, as well as a multitude of engineering resources.
The online product configurator allows engineers to use their own design criteria to configure the best latch, or in Marel's case, hinge, for the application, in seconds.
Marel quickly decided on Southco's large-size adjustable friction hinge, and ordered samples to test in the prototypes.
"The whole process was fast, easy and intuitive", says Sigurdsson.
The Southco hinge offered Marel numerous advantages.
It is constructed of a mix of stainless steel, acetyl, and polycarbonate components that are extremely corrosion-resistant, which makes it easy to clean.
It is strong and durable, with a maximum prevailing torque of 4Nm and can withstand an ultimate tensile load of 3110N.
It can also withstand an operating temperature range of -5 to +65C - ideal for the food industry.
In addition, the adjustable friction hinge offers a special detent feature which enables doors to be held open, partially open, or closed.
The adjustable friction can be pre-set to the desired torque by simply turning the adjusting screw.
This will allow the hinge to assist the operator in moving the large cover panels for operation and cleaning.
"This is a good, quality hinge", says Sigurdsson.
"The friction feature helps hold the panels during the cleaning phase, and it easily meets the rest of our requirements".
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