Learnings from Legacy Equipment

What do I do with all of this old equipment?

This is the question that we hear from many of our customers that have been operating plants for over 20 years. The good thing is, that equipment functionality is great, although the thought of sanitary design today, is not what it was back then.

In conjunction with Factor IV Solutions, Channelized® has developed this guide to assist the industry in addressing some of the many aspects of legacy equipment in the fresh-cut produce industry. We have listed some of the common challenges, along with tribal knowledge, seen in legacy equipment and hope you find this helpful when addressing potential risks in your facility.

Equipment Component I Have: What's the risk?
Drive Components
Belt/Chain Driven
Corrosion, PEC cleaning requirement, can be difficult to clean.
Hollow Rollers
Liquid accumulation and/or food debris.
Hydraulics
Non-food grade oil, Hoses, "Micro-Climate" created with Temperature of Oil.
Gauges
Pressure/ Temperature Gauges made from Glass or a Shattering material.
Foreign material contamination in a breakage.
Belting
Fraying/ Damaged Belts
Harborage in the fraying edges.
Cap Strip
A water collection channel that is a potential bacterial harborage point.
Component Fasteners
Zip Ties
Bundled cables and wires leading to inaccessible cleaning surfaces.
Hinges
Piano Hinges
Lots of surface area and niche points for cleaning. If the piano hinges are bolted on, check for lamination between flanges.
Fabricated Weldments
Tube Construction
Liquid accumulation.
Inappropriate welding - Skip, messy
Improper penetration, bacterial harborage.
Bolted Flanges
Lamination = bacteria harborage.
Bolted Laminations
Lamination = bacteria harborage.
Painted Equipment
Peeling, harborage underneath.
All-Thread Footings
Deep threads create harborage areas that are difficult to clean.
Rusty Scratches on Stainless Steel surfaces
Corrosion on that surface leading to a harborage point.
Equipment Marking
Decals / Stickers / Cut-Outs
Peeling, harborage in and underneath.
Process Piping
Underground Piping
Cleaning and verification difficulty.
Compressed Air & Pneumatics
Air used for Equipment Blow-Down
Unfiltered or unmaintained air blowing on or around product contact surfaces.
Air Cylinders used for Equipment Movement
Accumulation inside of the air cylinder.
Motor Controls and Electrical
Strain Relief
Difficult to clean areas between the braiding and the cord.
Rubber Grommets
Foreign material from the rubber falling into the product and harborage points where the rubber attaches to the grommet.
Fan-Cooled Motor
The fan that is inside of the guard can be difficult to access and clean.
Motors with open drain ports
Product / debris collection.
Clamps
Non-Tool less Clamps
Not easy disassembly for frequent sanitation.
Support Structures
Aluminum Platforms
Hollow tubing secured with rivets.
Isolation
Rubber Isolators
Damaged, harborage points.
All-Thread Shaker Support
Difficult to clean areas threads.
Lubricants
Non-Food Grade Lubricants
Potential product contamination.
Infrastructure
Ceiling Tiles
When cleaning, they lift, making it difficult to efficiently clean and water intrusion can occur.
Non-Wash Down Lights
Water intrusion and inaccessibility for cleaning.
Lined Drains
Peeling of inner liner causing a harborage point.
Cast Iron Drain Grates
Corrosive material in a fresh-cut processing environment, leading to harborage points.
Evaporators
Placement and condition of Evaps in the production facility may not allow for cleaning in addition to lack of sanitary design.