How Electropolishing Improves Pathogen Resistance for Food Industry Equipment
By Space Coast Daily // July 2, 2024
Contamination is a serious and ever-present risk in the food industry. Without careful processes for eliminating and preventing contamination and cross-contamination of food production equipment, pathogens can spread life-threatening illnesses on a devastating scale.
Food production equipment requires frequent disinfection which is far more effective when combined with methods that reduce bacterial build-up in the first place. That’s why manufacturers of metal parts used in food production equipment often specify electropolishing as the finishing method, a process that leaves parts with a surface finish that inhibits bacterial growth and makes cleaning more effective.
Studies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture describe the positive effects of the ultrasmooth metal finish that electropolishing creates.
How Electropolishing Boosts Pathogen Resistance in Augers, Blades, Process Equipment, and more
Electropolishing of metal parts used in food production not only increases pathogen resistance, it creates a smoother metal finish that is easier to disinfect. Electropolishing removes surface imperfections that can be initiation points for pathogen growth. Electropolishing also inhibits the formation of “biofilms” by which bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella link together to create a structure that is resistant to standard washing. Studies show that electropolished stainless steel is significantly more resistant to the development of these biofilm structures.
For more information about how electropolishing reduces the risk of food-borne pathogens, read our whitepaper: Electropolishing Shows Better Results in Reducing Bacterial Cross-Contamination in Food Production Equipment
How Electropolishing Works to Leave Metal Parts with Enhanced Pathogen Resistance
Electropolishing is an electrochemical process that uses an electrolytic solution and electrical current to remove a precise and consistent layer of surface material eliminating surface imperfections including microburrs, microcracks, heat tint, oxide scale and other contaminants.
The process also leaves parts in a passivated state and can eliminate the need for additional finishing processes including passivation, manual deburring, tumbling, pickling, and cleaning. Other benefits include significantly enhanced corrosion resistance and fatigue life improvement.
What Alloys Can Be Electropolished?
In addition to stainless steel (200 & 300 Series, 400 Series and precipitating hardening grades), electropolishing is effective for a wide array of other metal alloys including:
- Nitinol
- Titanium
- Aluminum
- AL6XN
- Carbon Steel
- Cobalt Alloys
- Copper
- Elgiloy
- Hastelloy
- Haynes Alloys
- Molybdenum
- MP35N
- Nickel Alloys
- Niobium
- Tantalum
- Tungsten
- TZM
- And many others
The world’s largest electropolishing specialist, Able Electropolishing, provides high quality finishing processes to industries like food and beverage production and meat and poultry processing, where the standards for pathogen and corrosion-resistance leave no room for error.
