4 Ways Using CinchSeal Improves Cheese Processing
The global cheese ingredients market is projected to reach $102.14 billion by 2022. The demand for cheese, as a key ingredient, in various cuisines is rising globally – with the production of cheese spreads, shredded cheese, cheese powder, and all kinds of melted and liquid cheese types.
If you’re in the business of processing cheese, you probably know how costly it can be to lose time and products such as cream or mozzarella cheese because of shaft sealing problems. They can lead to unfortunate situations like:
- Unscheduled downtime
- Gearbox failure
- Product contamination
- Plant sanitation
- Shaft repairs
But CinchSeal rotary shaft seals have proven able to virtually eliminate all of them.
With older technologies, including mechanical packing and lip seals, these expensive difficulties are all too common in mechanical conveying and mixing equipment used in cheese processing, such as:
- Screw Conveyors
- Cheese Cookers
- Mixers
- Blenders
- Rotary Air Locks
- Augers
On the other hand, CinchSeal rotary shaft seals are designed to save time, product, and money.
Why CinchSeal shaft seals are the answer for cheese processing
For the food processing industry, in particular, CinchSeal rotary shaft seals have some highly attractive qualities. They have the advantages of:
- Safety certification
- Proven contamination prevention
- Superior design
- Cost-effectiveness
Safety certification
Nothing is more important in food processing than safety. If safety is compromised, both processors and consumers suffer. That’s why the industry is so heavily regulated. Adhering to good safety practices not only prevents threats to human life and health but also expensive downtime, product recalls, and litigation.
Because of these important concerns, CinchSeal consults with the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the design of rotary shaft seals made for food processing applications. They are USDA-certified for poultry and dairy. The USDA’s “accepted” designation assures they will not cause contamination.
Contamination prevention
So how, exactly, do CinchSeal shaft seals prevent contamination? By preventing leakage, which leads to contamination.
CinchSeal rotary seals offer a number of contamination-fighting features, including:
- Leak preventing, FDA-approved silicone elastomer molded slightly smaller than the shaft. The elastomer creates an interference fit to prevent material from leaking out.
- Elastomer that spins with the shaft, stopping the shaft damage that can result with stationary seals, such as mechanical packing and lip seals.
- Rotor cups compressed with optimum load against stationary faces when the elastomer turns with the shaft. The rotors seal potential pathways for leaks.
- Air purging that performs three vital functions:
- Creating higher pressure in the seal chamber to form a natural air barrier to keep product out of the seal.
- Reducing heat caused by friction
- Pushing the rotating faces outward against the stationary faces creating a tight seal.
Briefly put, CinchSeal rotary shaft seals are designed to offer the highest level of protection against contamination and, at the same time, remain highly cost-effective.
Innovative design
But the design innovations that make CinchSeal seals ideal for cheese- and other food-processing applications don’t stop with elastomers and air purging. They extend well beyond them to include:
- Providing a larger shaft/seal interface surface than is possible with lip seals, so the opportunity for leakage and contamination is significantly lowered
- Creating boot-mounted rotor cups, so the rotary assembly is able to float with the shaft and accommodate a 1/4” misalignment that often comes with bulk-handling equipment
- Developing a self-cleaning and self-lubricating design that allows seals to operate dry
- Making repairs possible without unbolting the housing by splitting internal parts
- Providing repair kits to replace just an elastomer and rotor cups or stator plates; the durable housing stays like-new
Together, these innovations give CinchSeal rotary seals the ability to perform more cost-effectively than other seals on the market.
Cost-effective performance
How do CinchSeal’s innovative designs improve cost-effectiveness? To offer a few examples, they:
- Stop product loss
- Reduce maintenance significantly
- Prevent shaft and bearing damage
- Stand up to the food industry’s most challenging environments
- Keep employees safe
- Provide easy maintenance and repair
A rise in dairy demand
As a key ingredient, the demand for cheese is rising globally from the production of cheese spreads, cheese foods, pasteurized processed cheese, and more.
Depending on the type of cheese, the process of manufacturing it will vary. Here are 4 processes that are in use:
Processed Cheese
Processed cheese consists of 51% of natural cheese, along with emulsifiers, whey, additives, and preservatives. With the demand for cheese increasing, processed cheese is becoming more and more cost-effective to produce.
Processed cheese is further sub-segmented as restricted-melt, standard-melt, and quick melt.
Restricted-Melt
Restricted-melt cheese is formulated to soften at higher temperatures without melting and changing its shape. Restricted-melt cheese is used in applications where it is important to limit the flow of cheese to avoid leakage. It is mainly used in baked or fried foods, sausages, cheese bratwurst, and microwaveable sandwiches, among others.
Standard-Melt
Standard-melt cheese melts at a bit higher temperature than quick-melt cheese. It can replace natural cheese in applications such as slicing, cutting, and shredding. This cheese can be used with bread, meat and other food applications to enhance the taste of the product.
Quick-Melt
Quick-melt cheese melts easily which makes it suitable for general product applications. This cheese is usually used in dips and sauces while some quick-melt cheeses are used in food products such as pizzas and burgers for flavor enhancement.
Takeaways
CinchSeal’s contribution to cheese processing and the food industry as a whole boils down to two points:
- The industry needs innovative designs that improve on and replace outdated versions such as mechanical packing and lip seals to fight contamination, leakage and costly repairs at a reasonable price.
- Cost-effectiveness goes far beyond the initial price of the seal. You have to consider the cost of repair, replacement and maintenance.
For over 25 years, CinchSeal has been a leading manufacturer of rotary shaft seals for screw conveyors, ribbon blenders and all kinds of bulk-handling equipment. CinchSeal products serve as replacements and major upgrades that make the need for machine replacement less likely.
More information is available by contacting CinchSeal. Quotes and drawings are guaranteed to be available in 24 hours. Custom engineering usually takes 10 days.
