FDA Seals 2017 08

Seal Design for FDA Seals for Food Processing | AHP Seals

Seal Materials for FDA Seals Designed for Food Processing

The predominant approach to FDA seals for the food industry has been to simply take a seal design for industrial applications and use materials that are approved for food contact. Yet, seals in food processing equipment operate under conditions that are very different from industrial applications.

  1. The media to be sealed rarely provides sufficient lubrication for the seal.
  2. In many cases, the media is abrasive to seal materials.
  3. Shaft materials are made from soft stainless steels and can be easily grooved by seal lips.
  4. The media being processed contains lyes and acids.
  5. The equipment is subject to wash down or in-place cleaning that normally contains caustic chemicals.
  6. The seal materials must inhibit bacteria growth.
  7. The seal geometry must be conducive to effective cleaning.
  8. The seal materials must comply with FDA and EU regulations.

Introducing Duralast 4331

To address the above and have a durable and long-lasting seal, American High Performance Seals is happy to introduce its seal material Duralast 4331.

Duralast 4331 is a high-performance seal material that complies with FDA, 3A and EC standards. These show great resistance to C.I.P. fluids, as well as serve as solid chemical resistant seals with high chemical resistance to the diluted acids and lyes in food stuffs.

The material exhibits some very useful properties:

  1. Very abrasion resistant (low wear even against dry flavorings and salts).
  2. Has over 300% elongation, making it very flexible and easy to fit.
  3. Low compression set (maintains its load over long periods).
  4. Low swell (especially in mineral oils and fatty foodstuffs).
  5. Ability to seal high pressure or large gaps.

Need FDA Seals Designed for Food Processing?

The engineers at American High Performance Seals have already developed over 100 different seal geometries to meet the challenges of the food processing industry, and are at your disposal to develop one for your application if one does not already exist. Call us at (800) 283-7140, or fill out our contact form with your specific seal design needs today.