Plastic Products for Food & Beverage Applications
Products for Compliance, Cleanliness, & Performance
About Food & Beverage Industry Plastics
Performance plastics continue to revolutionize operations in the dynamic landscape of the food and beverage industry by optimizing processes and safeguarding product integrity. Polymershapes proudly partners with Mitsubishi Chemical Group – Advanced Materials to deliver cutting-edge solutions that address the unique challenges faced by food and beverage manufacturers in processing and packaging. From enhancing efficiency to ensuring compliance with stringent regulations, performance plastics offer unmatched versatility and reliability.
For top-of-the-line food safety and machine efficiency that will help your business thrive in today’s competitive marketplace, contact Polymershapes’ material experts to help you select the best performance plastic for your food and beverage application.
Excellent Chemical Resistance
This benefit gives most plastics a significant advantage over metal in any food and beverage application that requires clean-in-place (CIP), clean-out-of-place (COP), or sterilization-in-place (SIP) as they will not rust or corrode. Plastics are also up to 85% lighter than metal, enabling plastic parts to run at faster speeds while using less energy. Machines that use plastic parts against metal, versus metal-on-metal parts, are quieter at higher speeds, improving the working environment for operators. Many plastics are also self-lubricating, removing the need for additional lubrication, which can be messy, costly, and environmentally damaging.
Multifaceted Properties for Any Food Grade Application
Mitsubishi Chemical Group – Advanced Materials offers a portfolio of FDA, USDA, NSF, and 3-A Dairy compliant food grade plastics across standard, engineered, and extreme and advanced products. Many of these products offer additional visual, x-ray, or metal detectability for proactive contamination prevention and increased food safety. Blue materials are an increasingly popular solution in the food and beverage industry because they offer easy visual detection. Certain materials even carry dual compliance for both US and European food standards. For applications that require a transparent material, POLYVANTIS offers LEXAN™ 9444, an FDA approved grade of polycarbonate.
Multifaceted Properties for Any Food Grade Application
Mitsubishi Chemical Group – Advanced Materials offers a portfolio of FDA, USDA, NSF, and 3-A Dairy compliant food grade plastics across standard, engineered, and extreme and advanced products. Many of these products offer additional visual, x-ray, or metal detectability for proactive contamination prevention and increased food safety. Blue materials are an increasingly popular solution in the food and beverage industry because they offer easy visual detection. Certain materials even carry dual compliance for both US and European food standards. For applications that require a transparent material, POLYVANTIS offers LEXAN™ 9444, an FDA approved grade of polycarbonate.
Features & Benefits
FDA, USDA, NSF & 3-A Dairy Compliant
•Metal & X-ray Detectable
•Wear & Moisture Resistant
•Steam & Hot Water Resistant
•Chemical Resistant
•Lightweight
•Reduced Maintenance
•Noise Reduction
•Self-lubricating
•Antimicrobial Options
FDA, USDA, NSF & 3-A Dairy Compliant
Ensures compliance with food safety and sanitary processing regulations.
Metal & X-ray Detectable
Enhanced visibility through metal or x-ray detection for contamination control.
Wear & Moisture Resistant
Excellent wear resistance and low moisture absorption for reliable performance.
Steam & Hot Water Resistant
Withstands frequent washdowns and steam sterilization.
Chemical Resistant
Withstands exposure to cleaning agents and food-related chemicals.
Lightweight
Improves handling and energy efficiency.
Reduced Maintenance
Reduced maintenance requirements minimize downtime and enhance productivity.
Noise Reduction
Reduces machine noise for better work environments.
Self-lubricating
Minimizes external lubrication for cleaner operation, optimized efficiency and reduced operational costs and environmental impact.
Antimicrobial Options
Helps prevent microbial growth on surfaces.
Applications
Bushings & Bearings
Engineered plastics are an excellent choice when you need to reduce friction or wear. Polymershapes can help you choose the best material depending on the specific details of your application, such as speed, temperature, environmental conditions, and compliance requirements. Acetal, Nylon, PTFE, PEEK, and UHMW-PE are commonly used in these sorts of applications.
Conveyor Parts
Conveyors offer several opportunities for plastics to improve food processing or packaging performance. PTFE is an excellent material for rollers because of its great thermal and chemical resistance, very low coefficient of friction, and FDA and 3-A Dairy compliance. TIVAR® 1000 UHMW-PE by Mitsubishi Chemical Group is an excellent choice for chutes, sprockets, and rail guards because of its wear and corrosion resistance, low friction, and noise reduction properties. TIVAR HPV offers even higher wear resistance, a built-in lubricant, and dual food compliance in the US and EU, making it perfect for corner bends and other applications requiring extreme, long-lasting performance. Transparent LEXAN 9444 Polycarbonate, which is 30x stronger than acrylic and 200x stronger than glass, is often used as a conveyor shield for safety and quality control.
Food Preparation Surfaces
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is commonly used in cutting boards or countertops used for food preparation because of its balance of strength and toughness. Stocked in natural (off white) with a textured (matte) surface, it can be custom ordered in several additional colors. When you need a higher level of cut resistance, consider Polypropylene (PP).
Food Processing Equipment
For parts that come in direct contact with food, Nylon is strong and stiff with good abrasion resistance and comes in several specialized grade. Acetal (POM-C) is commonly used throughout the food industry because it offers better chemical and temperature resistance to withstand frequent cleaning and sterilization. Acetron® Food Grade Blue 50 POM-C offers all the compliances you need in a blue color for easy visual detection. PET thrives in acidic environments and is extremely resistant to staining and temperature damage, making it perfect for components that will be exposed to harsh cleaning solutions. Ketron 1000 PEEK is best when extreme temperature or chemical resistance is required. All four materials are FDA and 3A-Dairy approved. Metal detectable and EU compliant grades are available for most products.
Gaskets
Gaskets form a seal between two surfaces to prevent leakage or contamination. PTFE is the preferred plastic for gaskets used in the food industry because it’s able to withstand aggressive chemicals and is widely available in a food grade with all necessary compliances.
Machine Guards
See-through plastics like Acrylic (PMMA), PET-G, or Polycarbonate (PC) work well as machine guards to increase production line safety while maintaining visibility of equipment. For highest impact strength at elevated temperatures, choose LEXAN™ 9444 PC.
Scraper Blades, Mixing Paddles & Cams
Acetron Food Grade Blue 50 POM-C features very high dimensional stability and offers exceptional performance in wet and dry conditions, making it ideal for scrapers, knives, knife guides, filling nozzles, sprockets, and more.
Wear Strips, Gears, Star Wheels
TIVAR 1000 UHMW-PE is frequently used in wear strips, gears, and similar applications because of its outstanding wear resistance and low coefficient of friction, which enable higher machine speeds and longer Mean Time Between Repair (MTBR). It’s available in FDA compliant, blue, and metal detectable grades, as well as TIVAR HPV, which provides even higher wear resistance.
Other Applications
- Augers
- Back splashes, trim, and tables
- Food service cabinetry
- Chain/belt guides and guide rails
- Fluid lines
- Food and beverage filling lines
- Food molds
- Forming dies
- Funnels and chutes
- Gears, pulleys, timing screws, and wheels
- Manifolds and distributor valves
- Pipes, tubes, and nozzles/dispensing heads
- Pistons/plungers
- Refrigerators/coolers/ice machines and liners
- Seats, seals, rings, and thrust washers
Products for Food & Beverage Applications
Acetal (Polyoxymethylene, POM)
Acetal, also known as POM (Polyoxymethylene), is a semi-crystalline engineering thermoplastic material, with a continuous use temperature range of up to 180° F (82° C). Acetal offers high strength and stiffness coupled with high dimensional stability and ease of machining.
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