PEEK™

Polyaryletherketone PEEK™ Polymer For The
FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

From aerospace and transportation, to the medical and electronics industries, PEEK™ polymer has successfully replaced glass, stainless steel or other expensive metals to produce a growing range of cost-effective parts with outstanding wear, heat and chemical resistance.

FDA APPROVAL
All grades of unfilled PEEK™ polymer have been given compliance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for repeated use in food contact applications. This opens up significant new windows of opportunity for equipment manufacturers serving the food processing and catering industries to maximise component performance and value. This move by the FDA provides further demonstration of the quality and intrinsic purity of this unique material.

APPLICATIONS AND USES
Contact with all types of food has been approved, at temperatures up to and including typical oven cooking temperatures. The material is expected to be used in repeated use application, with no minimum contact periods.

For OEMs serving the food processing industry, PEEK™ polymer allows the design of complex, injection moulded components which can be consistently mass-produced without the need for assembly or post-treatment.

PEEK™ polymer is a high performance plastic with excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures.

FDA PEEK™ POLYMER KEY FACTS
All grades of unfilled PEEK™ polymer comply with the compositional requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation 21 CFR 177.2415- Polyaryletherketone) for articles intended for repeated use in contact with food, without restrictions on contact time or temperature.

All grades of unfilled PEEK™ polymer also comply with the compositional requirements of the European Union Commission Directive relating to plastics materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs (90/128/EEC) and its subsequent amendments to date.

FDA Compliant PEEK™ Polymer Grades

PEEK™ polymer 150R 380R 450P
PEEK™ polymer 150PF 450PF
PEEK™ polymer 150XF
PEEK™ polymer 151G. 381G. 450G

It has been shown that test specimens manufactured from PEEK™ polymer comply with the extraction limits specified in FDA 21 CFR 177.2415 and the overall and specific migration limits specified in Commission Directive 90/128/EEC. The monomers
4.4'-difluorobenzophenone and 1,4-dihydroxybenzene are subject to specific migration limits under Commission Directive 90/128/EEC.

However. We accept no responsibility for the compliance of the final material or article if other substances have been added during subsequent processing stages. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer of the food contact article to assure compliance with the extraction and migration limits.

FOOD PROCESSING
In a highly competitive market place where customers demand ever greater choice, food and beverage manufacturers strive continuously to provide the right product, at the right price and with optimum efficiency. This places greater demands on OEMs to provide state-of-the-art processing equipment, which is more cost-effective to produce, while meeting stringent demands for quality and hygiene. In the growing market for ready-prepared foods such as fruits and vegetables, for example, high capacity cutting machines slice, dice, shred and strip-cut to precise specification and uniformity, white state-of-the-art systems weigh and mix the ingredients ready for packaging. Fast, problem-free processing is essential so that foodstuffs retain their flavour and natural appearance.

The PEEK™ polymer portfolio of value-added materials allows OEMs to design machined parts made from stock shapes and complex, injection moulded components which can be consistently mass-produced without the need for assembly or post-treatment. Compared with traditional materials, these parts are both easier and more cost-effective to manufacture with no compromise in performance. From highly wear resistant bearings, seatings and seats, to precision cutting blades and energy-efficient pumps, PEEK™ polymer components will keep machinery running at peak productivity levels across the whole range of food processing activities : milling, emulsifying. Granulating, Liquefying and pureeing of countless dry, paste and liquid products.

CLEAN-IN-PLACE APPLICATIONS
The latest food processing equipment is designed for self-cleaning to ensure the highest standards of quality and hygiene. With the push of a button, cleaning solutions and then rinse-water are automatically routed throughout the equipment. These clean-in-place (CIP) solutions are generally acid- or, more commonly, chlorine-based. PEEK™ polymer has an incredibly stable chemical structure. It provides excellent resistance to a very wide range of organic and inorganic liquids, even at elevated temperatures.

ASEPTIC PACKAGING
Components for aseptic processing and packaging equipment must withstand the high operating temperatures that are required to quickly kill bacteria.

The high continuous operating temperature of PEEK™ polymer, (260°C. UL746B), and its excellent mechanical properties at this temperature, provide a tailor-made, cost-effective material solution for this demanding application area.

CONSUMER PROFESSIONAL CATERING
PEEK™ polymer is ideally suited to a range of high-end catering applications, including components for professional food processors, microwave ovens and coffee machines, ad dressing superior design and performance requirements cost-effectively.

As more and more catering companies are rationalising their food preparation systems, there are further opportunities for the material to replace stainless steel and glass in professional cookware and utensils. In a food preparation chain which links centralised cooking, packaging, cooling, storage, transportation and localised regeneration. PEEK™ polymer cookware offers product value through consistent part quality, functionality and long-term service and aesthetics. The material retains excellent mechanical properties at temperatures up to 300°C, allowing food to be heated by hot air oven, combi-steamer, thermal contact heater or microwave. In addition, its inherent chemical resistance allows various cleaning, rinsing and water softening products to be repeatedly used with no loss of mechanical properties.

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