In process industries, particularly in food and beverage production as well as chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, hygienic design is gaining increasing relevance. Hygienic Design, in environments so sensitive to the need for ease of cleaning to maintain hygiene, is not just a matter of aesthetics or comfort, but is a key feature that contributes to the safety, efficiency, and durability of an electrical panel.
Designing an electrical cabinet that fully complies with theHygienic Design guidelines dictated by the demanding regulators makes the difference between a safe and reliable solution and one that poses high contamination risks to products and the delicate environments in which they are manufactured.
For this reason, EiQ Industrial decided to invest in the design of a complete line of Hygienic Design electrical and pneumatic plant carpentry and thereby facilitate machine builders and plant end users in achieving the high hygienic standards required.
What it means to design according to Hygienic Design
The guiding principle of hygienic design is to be able to minimize potential bacterial accumulation points and thus the risk of proliferation and contamination.
What does it mean in practice to design to Hygienic Design standards when it comes to the production of electrical panels?
It starts with the choice of materials with certain characteristics, i.e., corrosion-resistant, non-toxic, and easy to clean; it continues by avoiding in the forms any sharp edges, cracks, or dead zones where dirt could settle. However, the electrical cabinet must provide maximum protection from dust and liquids to the electrical components inside it.
All carpentry construction details must comply with hygiene and safety regulations and standards and be easily accessible for replacement, maintenance and inspection. For this reason, they must also be easily disassembled, sanitized, and reassembled by the end user.
The hygienic design contributes to longer product life and reliability, reducing maintenance and replacement costs over time.
Quality electrical panels with Hygienic Design
EiQ Industrial has designed a complete Hygienic Design line, 3-A certified, using its own hinges and locking system.
In fact, as of 2019, following extensive engineering work, a new EHEDG-certified hinge and clasp have been patented.
The choice, as far as hinged doors are concerned, was to install visible hinges because of their obvious construction advantages and the many technical solutions they offer. To ensure both casing protection and ease of cleaning, hinges must provide maximum strength and hygiene, and EiQ’s hinges fully fulfill both requirements.
With regard to the new locking system, it was necessary to offer a solution that, in addition to meeting hygiene requirements, was user-friendly, that is, it allowed the user to open and close the sash with ease. To date, a handle with a quick latch attachment system is provided, which makes opening and closing operations much easier.
All items in the Hygienic Design line, in addition to meeting hygiene-related requirements and certifications, are certified for maximum enclosure protection and forinstallation in systems intended for international markets.
The benefits that the Hygienic Design line ensures are many: compliance with safety regulations first and foremost, reliability of electrical panels that last longer, cleaning and sanitizing times that are reduced allowing for higher performance and better economic yield.