Key Considerations for Machining Parts for the Food Service Industry

Ever think about what goes into making a can of chili?

A staple food item in your cupboard may seem ordinary enough, but so much happens behind the scenes before it even hits the shelves at your local grocery store.

Handling edible goods is risky business. There’s always a possibility for contamination. Machinery, utensils, packaging, and appliances all come into contact with food at some point in production and can potentially cause serious harm if found to be toxic or degraded.

If you’re looking for a manufacturing partner with a solid system in place for making food grade equipment, you’ve come to the right place.

How Arbiser Machine Makes Parts for Food Service

Whether we’re machining conveyor rollers, vats, knives, bearings, seals, gaskets, or anything else that comes into contact with food, we practice extra care and vigilance.

Here are some considerations we take into account when machining parts for food service customers:

Material selection

Material selection depends largely on the end use of a part. We begin our process by analyzing the functions and features of the part so we can identify the appropriate material to use for it.

The top three considerations for food beyond functionality/strength are temperature (is the part expected to withstand high heat or cold?), corrosion resistance (will it come into contact with acidic chemicals?), and cosmetic features (does it need to be lightweight or have a shiny finish?).

• Popular food-safe metals include:

• 303 or 304 stainless steel for kitchen appliances

• 316 stainless steel for parts requiring high corrosion resistance

• Aluminum for cans and baking applications

• Titanium for utensils and machine parts

As far as plastics are concerned, PEEK is the polymer of choice because it can withstand high temperatures without degrading.

We’ll always provide material recommendations that will get you the best part at the lowest price. When one of our recent customers wanted to build a prototype out of plastic because it was easier to machine, we advised them to use stainless steel instead because the material was much less expensive.

X-ray detectable additives

If you have a part that’s going to wear out over time, you must be able to identify unacceptable levels of debris that could contaminate food.

Let’s return to the chili example. If a food manufacturer is making a 600 gallon vat of chili and there’s a plastic bushing in one of the parts that will wear out eventually, that plastic bushing needs to be X-ray detectable. That way, when the food manufacturer X-rays the vat for quality assurance, they’ll be able to easily identify the pieces of the plastic bushing.

Prototype vs. production

If you’re creating a prototype solely for showcase purposes, you may not need to use food-grade material. Using a less expensive material will cut down cost in the product development phase of your project.

However, when you’re testing for functionality, we’ll recommend manufacturing a food grade prototype exactly as you would for end use.

No matter what stage of prototype or production you’re in, our team of engineers and machinists will guide you in making the ideal choice for food service parts.

At Arbiser Machine, our multi-axis machining, waterjet cutting services, wire EDM services, and other capabilities guarantee high-quality precision parts for food processing. Request a quote for your next part!