Low-Temperature Oil for Food Processing Technology OKS 3711
High capacity utilisation in the food processing industry brings maintenance issues into the spotlight
OKS responds with a spray version of the classic low-temperature oil for food processing technology at frozen food manufacturers.
Germany’s frozen food market is booming. Even after the abatement of market shifts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, demand for frozen products continues to be high. The industry association for the frozen food sector predicts a sales growth of almost 9% in 2021.
The result? The production capacities of frozen food manufacturers have been pushed to their limit for over 20 months. The meltdown in the operating process: a standstill of a production plant with a repair diagnosis requiring a spare part that is unavailable due to supply bottlenecks. As a result, maintenance has been declared a critical factor for success in large parts of the food processing industry. Above all, the reliable lubrication of drive units and transport chains is of key importance. Damage to them leads to production downtimes, extensive maintenance work and high costs as a result.
Even under normal production conditions, the food processing industry has extremely high requirements for lubricants – especially in the frozen food sector. After all, frozen foods like ice cream, pizza and baked goods are produced fully automatically using cutting-edge plant technology with strict adherence to the cooling process at every production stage.
Conventional lubricants cannot be used here; they must be capable of retaining their tribological properties at extremely low temperatures of up to minus 50 degrees Celsius and also be approved for use in food processing technology.
Over ten years ago, OKS developed OKS 3710, a special lubricant for use at extreme temperatures in the food processing industry. The low-viscosity, fully synthetic oil has excellent flow characteristics and does not solidify even at -60°C. It is tasteless and odourless and is resistant to ageing, cleaners, disinfectants and ammonia. Thanks to its excellent lubrication properties, NSF H1 certification and its physiological harmlessness, OKS 3710 has become a classic low-temperature oil with properties that are also ideally suited for use as a universal oil in food processing technology. Another key advantage: OKS 3710 ist MOSH/MOAH-free – a requirement that is becoming increasingly important for food manufacturers.
Large production plants use automatic lubricators. Here, the transport system drive chains are lubricated using nozzles that mix the oil with air to wet the chain with an even spray mist. This is where the OKS 3710 basic product is used. In many small plants, however, lubrication is done manually. In light of high machine utilisation in food production, demand is increasing for sprayable lubricants for the rapid, partial and, above all, safe lubrication of equipment.
OKS responded to this by offering its low-temperature oil for food processing technology as a spray version under the name OKS 3711 in October. Although the spray version and basic version have the same technical properties (see below), a spray valve was developed for OKS 3711 to enable even and constant spraying even under extreme application conditions and temperature ranges.
Overview of advantages and benefits of OKS 3710/3711:
- NSF H1-registered / suitable for use in production areas in the food processing industry
- MOSH/MOAH-free / no risk of food contamination with MOSH-MOAH substances
- Low-viscosity oil / easy penetration of lubricant into the chain inner bearing
- Excellent low-temperature behaviour / especially suitable for use in the frozen food sector
- Resistant to cold and hot water, steam as well as disinfectants and cleaning agents
- Economical operating times / reduction of maintenance costs through high wear protection
- Universal lubricating oil / suitable for a wide range of applications in food processing technology
More information
OKS 3711 - Low-Temperature Oil, for Food Processing Technology, Spray
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