Food and Beverage Industry

Pneumatic systems are particularly popular in the food and beverage industry. They meet the highest standards of hygiene and production safety, are compact and do not introduce any additional process heat into the system. Hydraulic systems are of course also used, especially when a large amount of force is required.

A large number of pneumatic grippers are used in the food sector, tailored to the nature of the respective product. It must be picked up gently without damaging or contaminating it. Vacuum grippers are particularly suitable for these tasks. For bulk goods, pneumatic suction devices can be used, which transport the product from the storage tanks via pipes to the respective processing station. Liquids are transported to their destination via pipes. These pipes can be cooled or heated as required to ensure that the material has a uniform consistency.

Pneumatic and hydraulic pumps, valves and motors are used in the processing machines to knead, mix, stir, in short, to process the raw materials in every conceivable way. Many of these work steps can now be fully automated and monitored from a central control station.

Packaging can also now be fully automated. Even sensitive products can be safely picked up and carefully packaged using vacuum grippers. Liquid to viscous products such as olive oil or butter can be pumped directly into the packaging via a pipe system. General goods are picked up and packaged individually or in specific quantities. The packaging is then sealed as required, labelled, placed in a large package and shipped to the warehouse. These work steps are also largely automated in many companies.

In the beverage industry, pneumatic grippers are used, among other things, to automatically place the filling containers into the machine. Fully automatic washing systems are also used for reusable containers, which automatically supply water and cleaning agents and carefully clean the container. The liquid is then transported to the filling station via hydraulic lines, where it is filled into the containers. While spirits are relatively easy to fill, foaming liquids such as beer must be filled under counter pressure and, if possible, without contact with oxygen. This naturally presents greater challenges for the automation process. In addition, the legal framework and the high hygiene requirements must of course be met.

Particular attention is paid to environmental technology in the food and beverage industry. Perishable products must be constantly cooled, or a certain humidity must be maintained in order to guarantee high product quality. The measurement and control technology required for this can be extremely complex depending on the requirements.

You can rely on us both for purchasing and for the subsequent maintenance of all hydraulic and pneumatic components. Thanks to our years of experience, we can also support you in the planning and implementation of complete solutions for the food industry, or provide you with expert advice on smaller scales. If you have any questions about the use of hydraulics and pneumatics in the food sector, our team will be happy to help.