Manufacturing processes that use heavy machinery such as canning often have the problem of needing to use lubricant to make sure that the machines are constantly operating at peak capacity. Unfortunately, this lubricant is sometimes less than beneficial for the environment. Fortunately, there are some methods you can use to make your heavy machinery lubricant more eco-friendly.
Eco-friendly Can Seamer Oil for Food
One common example of machines you have in a canning operation is something called a can seamer. This machine specifically takes the lid and seals it to the can's body, creating a seal. One of the main issues with can seamers is that not only do they need lubricant, but this lubricant should be as non-toxic as possible, since otherwise toxins can end up in the cans.
This is especially the case if your canning operation has anything involving food. In a world where it's becoming easier and easier to run manufacturing processes like canning with increasingly smaller companies, it's important to make sure something like the non-toxic nature of lubricant doesn't fall by the wayside.
Fortunately, there are non-toxic food grade options for seamer oil out these days. The key is to find lubricants that have the proper safety ratings. For example, if there's any chance that there's going to be contact between the food and lubricant, you need an H1 rated lubricant. This is usually called NSF-H1, and it's a rating from the National Sanitary Foundation.
Petroleum and Synthetic Lubricant Alternatives
Another consideration when choosing lubricant for a canning operation is to try to avoid petroleum and synthetic lubricants which are bad for the environment. These traditional lubricants often contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are toxic to the local water table and to local wildlife and human beings alike.
According to Clean Technica, new types of biodegradable industrial lubricant have been shown to not only have a less toxic effect on the environment in general, but they are also even easier to manufacture than the traditional types of grease and lubricant.
The lubricant alternatives are made of derivatives of cellulose. They are also nearly as effective when it comes to sheer lubricating ability as well as resistance to temperature. One problem that still needs to be figured out with the lubricants, however, is that they sometimes get ejected from machines at extremely high temperatures.
Scientists are confident that they'll be able to overcome this difficulty in time. In the end, the effort will be worth it for protecting the environment.
Share16 June 2015
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