Drives for the food and beverage industry: hygienic and washdown design
Food and beverage production places specific demands on drives: daily CIP wash-downs with caustic and hot water at 70–85 °C, direct equipment-to-product contact, zero tolerance for flaking paint or zinc plating, and strict sanitary requirements for housing geometry (no pockets, no upward-facing threads). General-purpose cast-iron lines with finned housings do not belong here. What is needed: smooth aluminum or AISI 304/316L stainless housings, food-grade NSF H1 lubricants (polyglycols or synthetic hydrocarbons), EHEDG or 3-A certification for direct-contact zones, and washdown motors rated IP66/IP69K that withstand an 80-bar jet at 80 °C.
Industry-typical tasks
- Drives for bakery dough mixers and spiral mixers rated 1.5–37 kW with reverse and variable speed
- Homogenizers for milk, cream and processed cheese rated 22–110 kW with peak pressures of 200–400 bar
- Hygienic belt and modular conveyors for meat cutting, packaging and portioning rated 0.37–15 kW in washdown design
- Drives for tunnel and rotary bakery ovens rated 22–110 kW with heat-resistant gearboxes and couplings
- Cream separators and butter churns in dairy plants with precise speed control
- Filling and bottling lines for beer, soft drinks and dairy products — drives for rotary fillers and capping screws
- Agitators in brewery wort kettles and mash tuns, pumps and drives for CIP stations resistant to caustics and acids
- Sausage stuffers and industrial confectionery mixers rated 5.5–55 kW with hygienic interface
Gearboxes and gear motors
In food production a gearbox must withstand daily CIP cleaning with hot caustic and acidic solutions, must not retain water or product on its surface, and must not shed paint or zinc particles. Three classes are used: smooth aluminum gear motors (secondary packaging and conveying zones), AISI 304/316L stainless (direct-contact zones per EHEDG/3-A), and industrial units with NSF H1 food-grade lubricant (heavy drives for dough mixers, blenders and ovens). Inside the housing: synthetic polyglycol or PAO oil approved as NSF H1; breather plugs are replaced with sealed expansion tanks.
Dough mixers and spiral mixers
Helical or bevel-helical gearboxes from the BONENG R/K series with aluminum housings and NSF H1 food-grade lubricant. Continuous S1 duty when mixing rye and wheat dough, peak torques when adding salt and flour. Tool reversing to release dough from the bowl wall. Controlled by INVT GD350 VFDs for soft start and adjustable mixing speed (slow blending / fast kneading).
- — Smooth aluminum or stainless housing without cooling fins
- — NSF H1 lubricant (polyglycol or PAO), synthetic
- — IP66 protection class, washdown design
- — Gear ratio 20–80, output torque 200–3,000 N·m
- — Service factor of at least 1.5 to account for frequent reversing
Drives for tunnel and rotary ovens
BONENG K-series helical and bevel-helical gearboxes with heat-resistant Viton seals and VG 220 synthetic oil. Operate in the thermal radiation zone of the oven (housing temperature up to +80 °C), continuous S1 duty 24/7. Chain or direct drive of the hearth band on tunnel ovens 20–60 m long. Couplings are LONGXUAN LX flexible pin couplings or gear drum couplings with a protective guard.
- — Viton seals, housing heat resistance up to +120 °C
- — Synthetic NSF H1 VG 220 oil with extended drain interval
- — Gear ratio 80–250 (low-speed hearth band)
- — Drain plugs and breather protected from flour ingress
- — Service factor of at least 1.5 for continuous duty with thermal cycling
Drives for meat processing and packaging conveyors
Hygienic gear motors in AISI 304 stainless housings with EHEDG certification. Smooth streamlined shape with no water pockets, flanges with rounded radii, FDA-compliant seals. Used on deboning, trimming, packaging and portioning conveyors. Withstand repeated CIP cleaning with caustic (2 % NaOH) and acid (1 % HNO₃) at 70 °C under pressures up to 80 bar.
- — AISI 304 housing (splash zones) or 316L (direct product contact)
- — EHEDG / 3-A certification for food zones
- — IP69K — withstands an 80-bar jet at 80 °C
- — FDA-compliant seals (Viton, EPDM, silicone)
- — Power rating 0.37–15 kW, output torque up to 1,000 N·m
Separators and butter churns in dairy plants
High-speed drives for cream separators (5,000–10,000 rpm at the bowl) through a belt drive from a WOLONG washdown motor. Butter churns and cream maturation tanks use BONENG R-series gear motors with INVT VFD speed control to tune the churning mode. All surfaces are stainless steel or smooth anodized aluminum.
- — G6.3 balancing grade for high-speed separators
- — 10–100 % speed control via VFD
- — AISI 304 housing or anodized aluminum with food-grade coating
- — NSF H1 lubricant with extended drain interval
- — IP66 minimum, protection against milk film at the seal area
Hydraulic power units for oil and oilcake presses
Drives for screw and hydraulic presses for vegetable oil, coconut, cocoa and sunflower oilcake extraction. DONLY hydraulic power units with NSF H1 oils for systems adjacent to food zones. Continuous duty, peak pressures up to 400 bar at the ram, smooth pressing-force control via proportional valves.
- — NSF H1 hydraulic oil (for food-grade zones)
- — Pressure 250–400 bar, flow 30–200 L/min
- — 10 µm filtration, moisture-absorbing breathers
- — Noise control (plant standard ≤ 80 dBA)
- — Oil cooler with potable-grade water (optional)
Washdown electric motors
Motors in a food plant face per-shift wash-downs with hot water and pressurized cleaning solutions. Standard IP55 is not enough here — IP66 is required for splash zones and IP69K for zones exposed to a direct 80-bar jet at 80 °C. Housings are smooth aluminum with food-grade epoxy coating or AISI 304/316L stainless steel. Zinc parts (terminal box covers, fasteners) are eliminated and replaced with stainless equivalents. Insulation class F with a reserve down to class B for sustained operation in high-humidity conditions.
Washdown motors for hygienic conveyors
WOLONG WD-WD washdown series with a smooth aluminum housing and food-grade epoxy coating. IP66/IP69K protection class, seal heat resistance up to +90 °C, no zinc components. Used on processing, packaging and portioning conveyors, sausage stuffers and filling lines. Compatible with INVT GD350-19 VFDs for smooth feed-speed control.
- — Protection class IP66 (standard) or IP69K (80-bar jet cleaning)
- — Smooth aluminum housing with food-grade epoxy coating
- — All fasteners in stainless steel
- — Insulation class F with thermal reserve down to class B
- — VFD compatibility (NEMA MG1 Part 31, inverter-duty insulation)
Stainless-housing motors for direct-contact zones
WOLONG motors in fully AISI 304/316L stainless housings with EHEDG certification for zones where no flaking coating is acceptable (meat grinders, mince mixers, direct-contact processing conveyors). Smooth streamlined shape, rounded radii, no water pockets. Cost is 2.5–3 times higher than aluminum versions, justified only in strict-hygiene zones.
- — AISI 304 housing (standard) or 316L (aggressive media: brines, acids)
- — EHEDG certification for direct-contact zones
- — Smooth streamlined shape with no pockets or upward-facing threads
- — FDA-compliant shaft and terminal box seals
- — Power rating 0.37–22 kW, IP69K
Motors for homogenizers and wort kettle agitators
Medium-power HUALI Y2/YE3 induction motors in a dedicated hygienic design for drives of milk, cream and processed cheese homogenizers (22–110 kW). High starting torque (1.8 times rated) — the homogenizer starts under full pressure. On brewery wort kettles and mash tuns: agitator motors rated 5.5–37 kW protected against steam condensate.
- — Power rating 22–110 kW, IP66, food-grade epoxy coating
- — Insulation class F with reserve B, frequent starts S4 duty
- — Insulated bearing on the non-drive end (for VFD-fed drives ≥ 75 kW)
- — Vibration grade per ISO 10816-3 zone B
- — VFD compatibility (inverter-duty insulation)
Drives for filling and bottling lines
Rotary fillers for beer, soft drinks and dairy products use WOLONG washdown motors rated 1.5–11 kW with an encoder for synchronization with the bottle infeed conveyor. Screw cappers and labelers use low-speed drives rated 0.37–4 kW with precise regulation.
- — IP66 minimum, washdown design
- — Encoder 1,024–4,096 ppr for synchronization
- — VFD compatibility (soft start, precise speed holding)
- — Insulation class F
- — Corrosion resistance to disinfectants (chlorine-based, peracetic acid)
Brakes and lifting equipment
Braking systems in the food industry are used on inclined conveyors in chilled and frozen warehouses, on raw-material infeed conveyors, and on bowl lifts and tippers of bakery lines. The specifics: operation at sub-zero temperatures (freezer rooms at −25 °C), high humidity, and periodic wash-downs. Brake housings are stainless or finished with food-grade epoxy coating; lining materials are asbestos- and heavy-metal-free; component lubrication is NSF H1.
Brakes for inclined conveyors in chilled warehouses
HUAWU YPZ2/YWZ5 electrohydraulic disc brakes in a low-temperature version (down to −30 °C) with cold-resistant hydraulic fluid. Hold an inclined conveyor loaded with frozen meat, fish or vegetables on power loss. A dual scheme (service brake plus emergency brake) is used on lifts taller than 3 m.
- — Cold-resistant hydraulic fluid (operating range −30 to +50 °C)
- — Housing with food-grade epoxy coating or stainless steel
- — Response time on power loss ≤ 0.2 s
- — IP55 minimum with condensate protection
- — Braking torque with a 1.75 reserve over rated torque
Brakes for raw-material infeed inclined conveyors
Shoe brakes with an electrohydraulic thruster on drives of belt conveyors feeding grain, flour and sugar into mixing towers and dough mixers. Hold the conveyor on power loss and prevent uncontrolled reverse run under the weight of bulk material. Enclosed housing protected against flour dust (ATEX zone 22 explosion-proof version available for dusty areas).
- — Enclosed housing rated IP65 against food dust
- — Optional explosion-proof version for zone 22 (flour dust)
- — Electrohydraulic thruster Ed-30 to Ed-200
- — Manual release for service
- — Lining wear monitoring (limit switch)
Brakes for bowl lifts and tippers
Compact electromagnetic disc brakes on drives that lift and tip dough-mixer bowls weighing 250–600 kg with dough. Spring-applied on power loss, electromagnetically released. Stainless or epoxy-coated housing, with no exposed springs or moving parts in the mixing zone.
- — Spring-applied electromagnetic operation (fail-safe)
- — AISI 304 housing or food-grade epoxy coating
- — Braking torque with a 2.0 reserve over working torque
- — IP66, hot-water wash-down compatible
- — Quiet operation (≤ 60 dBA)
Hoists for tippers and loading trolleys
Light-duty electric hoists rated 1–5 t for tipping bowls, raw-material trolleys and minced-meat containers. In meat and fish processing plants a stainless or epoxy housing is mandatory, with food-grade lubrication for the gearbox and bearings. Hoisting speed is controlled by a VFD for smooth discharge.
- — Lifting capacity 0.5–5 t
- — AISI 304 housing or epoxy coating
- — Dual braking system (service plus parking)
- — VFD speed control (smooth discharge)
- — NSF H1 lubrication for gearbox and bearings
Couplings and compensators
Couplings on food lines must be enclosed, with no exposed pins or springs and no cavities that accumulate water or product. Surfaces are smooth; materials are stainless steel, anodized aluminum or FDA-grade food-contact plastic. Where lubrication is required, only NSF H1 lubricants are used. Flexible pin couplings serve on conveyors, sausage stuffers and pumps; jaw couplings with FDA-grade elastomers on separators and homogenizers; gear couplings with protective guards on heavy drives for ovens and dough mixers.
Flexible pin couplings for conveyor drives
LONGXUAN LX/LMC and YONGJING ZL — flexible pin couplings with FDA-grade elastomer bushings. Used on processing, packaging and portioning conveyors. For food lines they are supplied with a stainless protective guard and FDA-compliant elastomers (polyurethane, EPDM, silicone). Smooth streamlined shape with no water pockets.
- — FDA-grade elastomers (polyurethane, EPDM or silicone)
- — AISI 304 protective guard (optional)
- — Torque 0.5–25 kN·m
- — Radial misalignment compensation 0.2–0.8 mm
- — No exposed springs or metal pins in accessible areas
Jaw couplings for separators and homogenizers
Rigid jaw couplings with an FDA-grade elastomer spider for drives of cream separators, homogenizers and butter churns. Transmit torque under minimum axial and radial misalignment and damp vibration of high-speed drives. YONGJING ML series and equivalent LONGXUAN couplings with FDA-approved elastomers are used.
- — FDA-grade spider (polyurethane 80–98 Shore A)
- — G6.3 balancing grade for speeds above 3,000 rpm
- — AISI 304 housing or anodized aluminum
- — Torque 0.1–10 kN·m
- — Permissible axial misalignment ≤ 1 mm
Gear couplings for dough mixer and tunnel oven drives
YONGJING GIICL / LONGXUAN WGZ drum gear couplings with a stainless protective guard for heavy drives of spiral mixers, tunnel ovens and large dough mixers. Transmit torque while compensating for shifts caused by thermal expansion of equipment housings. Gear-mesh lubrication is NSF H1 food-grade grease.
- — NSF H1 food-grade grease (lithium-thickened)
- — AISI 304 protective guard with no exposed gaps
- — Torque 1–50 kN·m
- — Angular misalignment compensation up to 1°
- — FDA-certified seals
Cardan shafts for CIP station drives
Cardan shafts for agitator drives in CIP tanks (NaOH, HNO₃, peracetic acid). Bodies and yokes are AISI 316L stainless (improved corrosion resistance to caustics and acids), seals are Viton/EPDM, lubrication is NSF H1 food-grade. Shielded against accidental direct contact with cleaning solutions.
- — AISI 316L material (resistance to NaOH and CIP acids)
- — Viton or EPDM seals
- — NSF H1 lubricant with extended temperature range
- — Torque 0.5–10 kN·m
- — Permissible misalignment angle 5–15°
Applications gallery
Our solutions for this industry
SDS portfolio brands that cover typical applications in this industry.
- BONENGFood-grade R/M series with smooth aluminum and stainless housings for dough mixers, blenders and hygienic conveyors; NSF H1 lubricant
- WOLONGIP66/IP69K washdown motors with food-grade epoxy coating, AISI 304/316L stainless versions for direct-contact zones
- HUALIY2/YE3 motors in hygienic designs for homogenizer drives, wort kettle agitators and mid-size conveyors rated 22–110 kW
- HUAWUYPZ2/YWZ5 brakes in a cold-resistant version for inclined conveyors in chilled and frozen warehouses
- YONGJINGJaw and pin couplings with FDA-grade elastomers for separators, homogenizers and food conveyors
- LONGXUANLX/LMC flexible couplings with stainless protective guards and WGZ gear couplings for heavy oven and dough mixer drives
- DONLYHydraulic power units for vegetable oil presses, oilcake presses and confectionery presses with NSF H1 food-grade hydraulic oils
- DEOPlate heat exchangers for milk pasteurization, wort heating and CIP solution cooling — capacity 50–500 kW
- INVTGD350 variable frequency drives for dosing units, dough mixers, filling conveyors and separator drives with speed control
- INOVANCEServo drives and controllers for precision packaging, dosing and portioning lines for dairy and confectionery products
Image credits: U.S. Department of Agriculture (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Picardin (CC BY 4.0) · Scan by NYPL (Public domain)