Recognising the importance of stringent health and safety standards in the food and beverage industry, ABB offers a cable conduit system that integrates anti-microbial protection.
Cable conduits in food processing plants can become a home for bacteria, representing a potential threat to both revenue and reputation. To combat this, manufacturers control levels of bugs such as salmonella, e-coli and listeria through regular wash-down to cleanse equipment and control bacteria populations. Some facilities experience wash-down operations up to five times per day.
However, the heat, moisture and chemical exposure experienced during wash-down cleaning can lead to damage and water ingress into cable conduits. In turn, this can lead to the need for costly and time consuming replacement of wiring.
Acknowledging an opportunity to help food and beverage manufacturers protect themselves against bugs and damage to wiring, ABB worked in partnership with BioCote to develop a new type of cable conduit that protects both cable and food production.
The new anti-microbial conduit is manufactured from a thermoplastic that contains inert silver ions. These bind to bacteria, stopping cell function and preventing their reproduction. This kills the bacteria cells and helps to eliminate the risk of contamination.
Meirion Buck, Senior Design and Technical Manager at ABB Adaptaflex said, “The science behind the anti-microbial cable conduit is fascinating. Testing shows that the Adaptaflex conduit decreases bacteria by up to 80 per cent in 15 minutes and 99 per cent in two hours, reducing risk of contamination.”
Bacteria-resistant cable ties industry’s first cable ties to inhibit microbial growth
Ty-Fast Ag+ bacteria-resistant cable ties are made from an FDA-compliant material, a fungus-inert nylon 66 resin and a custom-blended, EPA-registered antimicrobial silver ion additive. The proprietary material protects the cable tie from microbes growing on or under the tie that can cause infections, stains or odours.
Since the early 20th Century, silver has been known to inhibit microbial growth, and valued as a bactericide and for its low toxicity to animal cell tissue. With the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, it has re-emerged as an antibacterial agent in some applications.
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