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Food Processing and Handling

Piedmont Plastics offers a full inventory of NSF, FDA, USDA, and 3A-Dairy compliant plastic materials for food processing and handling equipment.

 

The food processing and handling industry relies heavily on equipment and machinery to meet the constant demand of these goods. With the help of performance plastics, these industrial facilities can fully rely on the durability and longevity of these materials, ultimately decreasing their operating costs. In addition, the versatility of performance plastics allows them to be used in a variety of applications ranging from mixing and cooking to packaging and transportation.

Common Plastics for Food Processing

The food processing and handling industry often presents merciless environments for the materials that are used in the equipment and machinery. That’s why it’s important to have materials with properties that can withstand any condition. For example, many industrial plastics can be heated or cooled repeatedly without affecting the application’s design or the items being processed.

These materials are also specifically designed to withstand harsh chemicals, thus allowing them to be cleaned and sanitized regularly to prevent contamination. In addition, these plastics often have low coefficients of friction and low water absorption rates, making them a preferred choice over alternative materials such as metal.

Acetal

Acetal has exceptional stiffness, strength, durability, lubricity, and a low moisture absorption rate. It offers a thinner, lighter, and more flexible design when compared to traditional industrial products. It also boasts excellent product fusion and a wide range of temperature performance levels.

Acetal can be used for applications such as:

UHMW

UHMW is highly durable, cost-efficient, and versatile. It is commonly known for its extremely low coefficient of friction, inherent lubricity, superior impact strength, and chemical resistance. Natural virgin UHMW has an extremely high molecular weight, making it extremely resistant to abrasion and moisture absorption. UHMW is also FDA and USDA compliant.

UHMW can be used for applications including:

HDPE

HDPE is a versatile product with low moisture absorption, excellent impact resistance, high tensile strength, and good chemical and corrosion resistance. HDPE does not splinter, rot, or retain harmful bacteria. It is recyclable and extremely resistant to the harsh chemicals of cleaning solutions.

HDPE is used for:

PTFE

PTFE has a low coefficient of friction, excellent electrical properties, high chemical resistance, and stability in wide temperature ranges. PTFE is also FDA approved. PTFE can be used for the following applications:

Extruded Nylon

Extruded nylon has exceptional toughness, resistance to wear, and great tensile strength. It is lightweight and exhibits a low coefficient of friction and is chemically and thermally resistant. Nylon 101 is also FDA, USDA, NSF, and 3-A Dairy compliant.

Nylon works well for:

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a transparent plastic material with exceptional impact resistance, toughness, low moisture absorption, dielectric properties, and flame retardance. Polycarbonate is 30 times stronger than acrylic and over 200 times stronger than glass. It is lightweight, weighing six times less than glass. Polycarbonate is also a great insulator.

Polycarbonate is useful for applications such as:

Food Contact Plastic Materials

One of the biggest benefits of using industrial plastics in the food processing and handling industry is their NSF, FDA, USDA, and 3-A Dairy compliance. This allows for direct contact with food without having to worry about introducing dangerous shavings or other foreign materials into the processed products. Furthermore, x-ray detectable plastics now offer additional relief knowing these materials can be detected before being introduced to the customer.

Contact us today to learn more about how our products can help with your food processing and handling equipment!

Data Sheets and Resources