RESILIENCE IS PROFITABILITY

Are Your Motors up to the Challenge?

#1cause of premature motor failure: Ingress of water and chemicals
 
Estimated cost of unplanned downtime
$30000 per hour

Source: 'Motors Help Baking Equipment Reduce Factory Downtime,' Food Quality and Safety.

 
Regular, thorough equipment cleaning is essential to food safety

HOW DO WATER AND CHEMICALS GET IN?

Internal operating temparature can exceed 100°C (212°F)
Pressure rises with temperature, pushing gases out past the seals
 
Following operation, temperature returns to ambient—in a refrigerated environment, as low as 0°C (32°F)
Internal pressure can drop by 5.5 PSI relative to ambient pressure, pulling water and corrosive chemicals in past the seals
 
Water and chemicals can quickly destroy precision motor bearings!

HOW CAN YOU MINIMIZE THE RISK OF PREMATURE FAILURE?

 

An Incomplete Solution: Sealed Motors

  • Well-sealed motors are essential in a washdown environment.
  • However, no seal is completely impervious.
  • Falling internal pressure can draw water and chemicals past the seal.

Internal pressure in a "sealed" motor varies with operating temperature

Temperature (C)
Pressure (PSI)
Elapsed Time
 

A questionable option: Physically isolated motors

  • Permanent covers encourage hidden pathogen growth.
  • Bagging motors is time consuming, and employees often skip it.
  • Covers/bags can leak, and they must be removed for wipe-down.
  • Manual wipedown of motors is time consuming and in many cases ineffective.

How clean are components that are bagged and wiped rather than washed down?

48% Cannot Be Cleaned Consistently
35% Not Clean
17% Clean but Time Consuming
Source: Kollmorgen survey of 23 leading food safety professionals
 

An acceptable option: Positive air pressure system

  • Positive internal pressure is maintained by injecting clean, dry air.
  • Requires an air compressor with tubing to each motor.
  • Requires additional motor connections that are difficult to clean.
  • Installation is time consuming.
  • System introduces multiple points of potential failure, including contaminants from injected air.
 

THE IDEAL OPTION: VENTED SYSTEMS FROM KOLLMORGEN

Continuous pressure equalization eliminates the risk of internal vacuum. Kollmorgen provides three venting options.

Vented designs equalize internal motor pressure regardless of temperature

Temperature (C)
Pressure (PSI)
Elapsed Time

VENTED MOTOR DESIGN

  • A breather port is installed directly on the motor.
  • Allows continuous pressure equalization.
  • Gore membrane prevents ingress of contaminants.

PATENTED VENTED CONNECTOR DESIGN

  • Breather port and Gore membrane integrated with motor connector.
  • Allows continuous pressure equalization.
  • Simple design for easier motor cleaning.

PATENTED VENTED CONNECTOR DESIGN

  • Power/data cable also includes tube for motor venting.
  • Allows continuous pressure equalization.
  • Easiest system to install and clean.
Venting for pressure equalization is just one of the ways our 316L stainless steel AKMH Series delivers reliable performance in hygienic washdown environments.
Learn more about washdown efficiency and motor reliability at www.kollmorgen.com/washdown

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