NSF is a non-profit organisation known worldwide for providing certification services in the areas of health and safety, with NSF registration assuring inspection officials, consumers and end users that products are safe to use in and around food processing and storage.
The Standard provides minimum food protection and sanitation requirements for the materials used in the construction of commercial food equipment.
Compliance process
Donna Guinivan, a communications spokesperson for the Trelleborg Group, explained that the evaluation process involved in achieving NSF compliance includes a toxicological review of the ingredients, accuracy of labelling and material safety data sheet.
She told FoodProductionDaily.com that both MF compounds are manufactured from high-purity polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grades and additives, and that their smooth finish, with high gloss and low porosity, avoids the risk of contamination build-up and reduces particle shedding.
Application matching
Ineffective sealing can result in production stops for maintenance, or even unplanned part replacements.
According to Guinivan, Trelleborg works with food and beverage equipment suppliers to carefully match the seal material to the process media and the aggressive chemicals used in cleaning regimes to maximize the life of seals and gaskets: “This improves production efficiency, reducing overall costs for the manufacturer.”
Chemical compatibility
As food equipment materials, whether elastomer or plastics, have to cope with a broad variety of process media along with Cleaning In Place (CIP) and Sterilization In Place (SIP), the MF materials have been designed to withstand temperatures from –200°C to +260°C, and have almost universal chemical compatibility, she continued.
“They can perform in a broad range of chemical media including organic and inorganic oxides, acids, alkalis, amines, esters and steam," said Guinivan.
She added that the Turcon MF compounds, which are also FDA seal standard compliant, have high wear resistance and good friction and sliding properties and are particularly suitable to dynamic and rotary applications.
The company said that the sealing materials are available globally.