BrauBeviale 2024: igus presents lubrication-free drylin linear and drive technology – designed according to the EHEDG guidelines.

December 2024 – The pressure on beverage manufacturers to produce hygienically is increasing: consumer demands for product safety are growing and global standards from authorities such as the FDA are becoming stricter. As a result, the demands on machine and system components are also increasing. To enable machine builders and operators to achieve hygienic, low-maintenance and fail-safe production, igus presented lubrication-free drylin linear and drive technology in hygienic design at BrauBeviale 2024 in Nuremberg recently, including a design study for a ready-to-install SHT linear axis. This not only fulfils FDA and EU requirements, but also meets the EHEDG guidelines with regard to cleanability.

In times of stricter regulations, companies in the beverage industry must ensure that their equipment for filling, labelling, packaging and inspecting bottles and tins can be cleaned easily and thoroughly. This also applies to machine components such as linear technology, which is used for the adjustment and movement of filling heads, label dispensers and camera systems, among other things. “The demand for linear technology in hygienic design is currently increasing rapidly. Machine manufacturers are looking for ways to further reduce the risk of contamination in their systems while lowering cleaning effort and thus operating costs,” confirms Michael Hornung, Product Manager drylin® Linear and Drive Technology at igus.

Among the new products that visitors to BrauBeviale witnessed were the design study of a ready-to-install SHT linear axis in hygienic design, which has been optimised for better rinsing. It is suitable for filling stations, for example, allowing for precise and hygienic movements to position bottles and tins. The axis uses stainless-steel round shafts as guidance and relies on dryspin lead screw technology from igus made of corrosion-free stainless steel for the drive. The truss assembly consists of two housing halves that are sealed with an FDA-compliant silicone flat gasket and hygienic screws. Specially developed wiper seals protect the shafts and prevent dirt and moisture from entering the shaft end support. In addition, igus has designed the lead screw nut on the lead screw in such a way that there are generous gaps. This prevents deposits and makes it possible to clean them efficiently. Says Hornung: “We are working on developing more and more products consistently in accordance with the hygienic design guidelines and have now also joined the EHEDG so as to facilitate new types of certification for open moving parts.” 

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