Spectrum Brands is a global home-essentials manufacturer and a leading worldwide supplier of pet care products. The company places high importance on ensuring optimal hygiene and food safety in its plants through the use of ‘clean design’ equipment.
Their plant in Coevorden, Netherlands, produces cat and dog food under the brand name Iams, and they were concerned about the performance of the old-style flexible connectors that were being used to feed raw materials throughout the plant.
Old-style Clamped Sleeves Inefficient and Unsafe
The clamped sleeves Spectrum Brands was using were not dust-tight during processing and they also had a tendency to break very easily. This combination resulted in constant dust contamination of the production environment and frequent downtime for clean-ups and sleeve replacements.
Replacing the failed connectors was a complicated and time-consuming process, requiring a lot of preparation and planning. It also often required installers to use sharp tools and clamps in hard-to-reach areas. This posed a risk to both personnel and production processes.
The frequency and resulting downtime involved due to these connector failures were also affecting production efficiency.
A Cleaner, Safer Flexible Connector System
Spectrum Brands were looking for a hygienic, safe, and durable solution, so they contacted local process specialists and BFM® fitting Distributor, Vlint.
Vlint recommended replacing their old-style clamped sleeves with the BFM® fitting flexible connector system. The unique, robust design of BFM®’s internally-sealed flexible sleeves provides a dust-tight connection that is also ATEX-approved.
The connector material recommended, a very strong urethane called Seeflex 040E, won’t rip like many traditional connectors. It also has the added bonus of transparency which gives constant visibility of the product flow.
Overall Maintenance and Production Efficiency Improved
In conjunction with advice and expertise from Vlint, over thirty BFM® fittings were installed in various locations throughout the factory, including under six Rotex sieves. This has now transformed the overall environment as there is no longer dust leaking throughout the plant on a regular basis.
There has also been a significant reduction in maintenance interventions and downtime in the plant. This is both due to less frequent replacement and faster fitting when they are required.
“In the past, changing a connector, depending on the location in the factory, took us between half an hour and 45 minutes, requiring a lot of work preparation and planning,” said Robert Feringa, Spectrum Brand’s engineer at the Coevordan plant.
“Now our technicians change the BFM® fittings in just ten minutes,”
The durability of the BFM® fitting product has also impressed the maintenance team, as they also last at least twice as long as the previous connectors.
If you want to improve the hygiene, safety, or efficiency of your processing plant, talk to one of our experienced Distributors about the advantages of BFM® fitting.
