Mepaco Blog

Mepaco’s Food Processing customers opt for custom and modifiable dumping equipment features that provide the highest level of personnel and food safety, including:

PERSONNEL SAFETY

• Personnel guarding designed for the entire dump-zone footprint and safety relays that control the e-stop position; and optional pocket door designs that allow for safe fork truck access for loading and unloading.
• Guards can be designed for different types of visibility and access, from gates to pocket and overhead access doors, depending on the requirements of the application.

• A Pallet Retention System (PRS) that allows the combo to complete the dump cycle while separating from the pallet, limiting the potential for contamination in the food stream.
• A liner hold-down that prevents the liner from separating from the combo and falling into the hopper.
• An optional electropolished finish on the chute solves for sanitation efficiency and effectiveness.

Apache routinely conducts tests for customers and in-house studies on the benefits of electropolished surfaces on food contact surfaces.

Highlighted above, is a study that compares high-end finishes under 200X magnification:

1. 304 Stainless Steel Bead Blast Finish with readings from 35 – 45 RA
2. 304 Stainless Steel 2B + Electropolished Finish with reading from 5 – 6 RA
3. 304 Stainless Steel 2B Finish (12-gauge material) with reading from 15 – 17 RA
4. 304 Stainless Steel 2B Finish (10-gauge material) with reading from 20 – 30 RA

It shows the RA (Roughness average) reading in four finish examples of 304 stainless steel. In the study, the electropolished finish is more than six times smoother that the bead blasted finish.

What makes this study significant is that food processors can leverage electropolished surfaces to increase food safety performance.  Our customer’s who choose electropolished food contact surfaces tell us that food safety is significantly enhanced, and sanitation efficiencies are realized in time savings and water usage.