Why food processing magnets should be installed in stainless steel housings
There are a number of reasons why food processing magnets should be installed in stainless steel housings:
Reason 1. – Stainless steel does not become magnetised like mild steel does.
When food processing magnets are installed in stainless steel housings, the material that is closest to the magnet is non-conductive, which means that the magnetic field doesn’t become interfered with by the surfaces nearest to the magnet. This means that the magnet circuitry can perform how it should and it’s configured in a product flow for maximum separation efficiency.
Mild steel housings are not recommended around the magnets because the surfaces can become magnetised. When the surface becomes magnetised, contamination can cling to those areas and become a contamination risk in itself!
Reason 2. – Hygienic food processing magnets are crucial.
Another reason is that stainless steel housings are more hygienic, as they can be thoroughly cleaned, leaving a clean surface for a food safety application. Food processing magnets should be hygienic and easy to clean – this is crucial in food processing!
Reason 3. – Magnet strength can be uncontrollable when closing the magnet doors.
Mild steel housings can become more uncontrollable due to becoming magnetised, while stainless steel housings do not have this issue. When closing the door of the magnet housing, the operator may not have much control due to the magnetisation of the mild steel surface. This will then cause the magnet to slam shut and possibly jam or pinch the operator’s fingers in the housing door.
Reason 4. – Magnets can easily get damaged.
When mild steel housings become magnetised, certain types of magnets are more likely to get damaged. For example, Liquid Magnetic Traps, also known as Pot Magnets, are prone to getting damaged in mild steel housings when operators remove and return the magnet to its housing. Densely packed Pot Magnet bars are prone to being bent and swollen due to the way they are being put back into place – magnetised mild steel causes the bars on the Pot Magnet to grab onto the sides of the housing, leading to damage of the internal elements. This damage can become a cause of demagnetisation, or magnet strength loss, which can reduce the effectiveness of the food processing magnet.
Reason 5. – Higher possibility of recontamination.
As using high strength magnets around mild steel housings induces magnetism within the mild steel, metal fragments and contaminants become attracted to the magnetised housing itself. In turn, this increases risks to product security and recontamination of the food process.
When the high strength magnet is taken away, the magnetism of the mild steel housing is decreased, causing those metal contaminants to drop back into the product stream and re-contaminate the product. This can result in contaminated final products and heightened risks of product recalls.
For more information or to find powerful magnetic separation solutions for food processing applications, contact the Magnattack® Global team.
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