Balingen, 5th july 2010, the Balingen-based technology manufacturer Bizerba introduced a new surface finish for cutting machines. A special ceramic surface, originally developed for use in aeronautical engineering and the computer industry, makes cutting machines more robust, efficient and corrosion-resistant.
Ceraclean is made of artificial resin combined with ceramic components and polytetrafluorthylene and uses the water- and dirt-repellent lotus effect. The good non-stick and gliding properties speak in favour of use in the food service. Ceraclean is 30 times harder than the usually used aluminium anodiser, has up to 20% higher gliding properties than normal anodised aluminium, is dishwasher-safe and very durable with detergents of all kinds.
“The material generates a strong customer advantage in food processing. Deposit build-up is very low and therefore cleaning is easy and doesn’t require a great deal of effort. The cutting blades do not get very dirty, the goods to be cut do not stick on and the high level of abrasion resistance increases the life span“, says Andreas Gmelin, director of food processing at Bizerba.”Technical tests“, continues Gmelin, “convinced us of the characteristics of the new material. Normal anodisers in detergents showed a significant surface change after five days. With the new technology there were no signs of abrasion even after several weeks.“ Parts of the cutting machine can be cleaned in the dishwasher without hesitation. Extensive tests, which are also used in the automotive industry, proved the significant superiority of the new surface technology compared to today’s current anodised aluminium.
In the sandpaper test the material underneath the anodiser was exposed after 1,3000 strokes with sandpaper with grain size 240, with a load of two kilograms. The new surface withstood 45,000 strokes in this test. Apart from the high level of abrasion resistance the material has a high resistance to chemicals. The layer thickness is approx. 25 micrometres.
There are no concerns in contact with food: “The American Organisation Food and Drug Administration (FDA) checks items for their suitability for use with food. All of the raw materials used in the new technology conform to FDA standards”, explains Gmelin. Furthermore, the technology has the LGA certificate. This is proof of a defined, superior and consistent quality. Due to the annual monitoring of production, a consistent level of quality is ensured.
