Bearings International (BI) distributes the full range of Bauer gear drives to cater for the diverse hygiene requirements of the food and beverage industry. From standard cast-iron, epoxy coated surfaces to complete stainless-steel units, Bauer Gear Motor provide drive solutions for a range of application requirements. Its standard drives comprise the helical-gear motor Series BG, the helical bevel-gear motor Series BK, the helical worm-gear motor Series BS, and the shaft-mounted gear motor Series BF.

Its washdown duty drives are CleanDrive™, AsepticDrive™, and AsepticDrive™ with mounting solutions.
In the hygiene-sensitive segments of the food and luxury foods industry, drive systems are usually located in the same area as open product flow, which means that very stringent criteria have to be adhered to. “Not only should the drive units be readily accessible and easy to clean, but they must offer the best possible resistance to commonly-used cleaning products,” BI Business Unit Head Ross Trevelyan notes.

Cleaning strategies incorporating the alternating use of acidic and alkaline products must also be taken into account. “Another problem that has to be contended with is the air turbulence generated by the drive, and the associated air circulation,” Trevelyan points out. In addition, if the drive system is located above the product, it poses a risk of direct contamination of the entire product cycle.

Proper hygiene is therefore critical, as bacterial growth on any surfaces must be avoided at all times.
Bauer’s special geared motor design features fully-smooth surfaces for efficient, comprehensive cleaning. All surfaces slope by at least 3° to prevent the formation of dirt deposits, as well as allowing cleaning products to run off.

The outer surfaces of the drives are coated with a paint that repels water, producing better hygiene properties than even stainless steel, which is hydrophilic. In addition, all motors are designed to comply with the latest energy-efficiency rating.

“With over 90 years’ experience in drive design, Bauer is a global leader in drive engineering for the food and beverage industry. Our distributorship of this leading brand is part of our strategy to offer the best-in-class technology for diverse industries, backed up by our comprehensive aftermarket and technical support,” Trevelyan concludes.

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