Machine components suitable for hygienic applications: A case study on cable glands

Where machines and equipment are constructed for use in hygienic manufacturing environments, they have to be designed with features that enable ease of cleaning. Several standards and guidelines state the main criteria and design recommendations for this. Media supply interfaces (electricity, compressed air, vacuum) at the transition point between cables/hoses and housings is the most common weak point as far as the ability to comprehensively clean such systems is concerned. Meanwhile, several solution recommendations for cable glands are now commercially available. In the following article, the cleanability of selected cable glands is investigated and assessed. A riboflavin test is utilized as a recognized and well-established method for visualizing and evaluating areas that are not reached by cleaning processes.