Sustainable food-grade drives

Whether or not a drive comes into contact with food, increasingly stringent legislation means that agri-food organizations must meet strict requirements. BEGE brainstorms with machine builders and other companies operating in this industry, providing smart, food-safe, customized drive solutions.

The stainless steel drive components we use are manufactured in compliance with strict international quality and hygiene standards. This minimizes the risk of bacteria and contamination and helps prevent product recalls and food waste.

Our drives’ design minimizes their environmental footprint. By using more efficient, accurate components, we contribute to reduced food waste during cutting, mixing, sorting and packaging. Recently, one of our end customers managed to significantly reduce waste thanks to the implementation of a BEGE MIG encoder in a filling machine.

Implementing a hypoid drive in a machine instead of a worm gear drive can increase the efficiency by approximately 20 percent. It also has other interesting benefits; multiply the operating hours by the power consumption and €/kWh to discern the hypoid drive’s rapid payback time, making this a financially attractive option.

To ensure that the drive can provide sufficient torque, machine builders often over-dimension the installation, resulting in unnecessary expense. Our engineers consider every individual situation, carefully examining which forces are required at which points. We recommend the most efficient solution to eliminate the need for over-dimensioning and ensure optimal lifetime and performance, which in turn reduces energy costs.

The choice of a drive that meets IE standards helps keep the energy costs as low as possible. As energy prices continue to rise, it may be more advantageous to replace certain pollutant parts with more efficient options, thus upgrading the fleet. An example is the implementation of an IE3 premium or IE4 super premium efficiency class electric motor. The purchase has a relatively fast payback time due to much lower energy costs compared to, for instance, an IE2 motor.

In selecting the right drive, it is important to consider the load. The size of the load depends on the nature of the load, the number of operating hours and switches per hour, as well as the radial and axial forces, among other things.

Longer life results in lower costs and reduced environmental impact. BEGE incorporates only high-quality components. This guarantees reliability, even at those times when the plant is running at full capacity and breakdowns are to be avoided at all costs.

Another important element in saving time is insight into the performance. Connecting a sensor to an electric motor or gearbox allows for predictive maintenance.

An example of such a sensor is the Bosch SCD. With built-in sensors for vibration, tilt, shock, temperature and magnetic fields, this sensor device provides the right insights to determine optimal moments for oil changes, bearing replacement, etc.

The use of this Industry 4.0 solution is also a sustainable option from a societal point of view, as good maintenance has a lower impact on the environment than the (premature) purchase of a new part.