Drives handle harsh celery processing conditions

East Anglian manufacturer of automation equipment for handling and processing fresh produce, Ambit Projects, has been working with Nord Drivesystems' UK subsidiary on machines specifically designed for hostile and high hygiene environments.

Designated Nord Severe Duty or nsd tupH, the drives were used for an upgrade and line expansion of a celery cutting and packaging machine for a regular Ambit customer.

These aluminium IP69-rated gear motors replaced existing drive units on the upgrade part of the machine and across the additional processing line to solve a problem with paint peeling and corrosion due to the wet process environment.

The machine processes freshly harvested celery; removing its root and flag then washing, inspecting and packaging the produce. The constantly wet environment and foaming agents used had caused the old drives to split and peel over time with a danger that paint debris might contaminate the celery produce. This was particularly prevalent for conveyor drives close to the washing process.

Contact: Nord Gear (UK)