Rittal presents the world's first hygienically designed cable gland. The completely new concept minimises the risk of deposits in 'open' production processes in the food industry, thus reducing cleaning costs.
Operators of machinery and systems in the food industry are increasingly expecting machine manufacturers to deliver hygienically optimised solutions. The new Hygienic Design product range from Rittal makes the company's housing systems ideal for the most demanding applications where hygiene is key. As part of the new range the cable gland has been consistently designed with hygiene requirements in mind, significantly reducing the risk of user contamination. Conventional cable glands present all kinds of niches where dirt can gather. These include cavities, crevices and external threads. But Rittal's new Hygienic Design version presents only smooth surfaces and gentle transitions, so dirt and micro-organisms do not stand a chance.
One special feature of the new cable gland is the cap nut that extends all the way to the mounting surface, thereby concealing the entire clamping and sealing mechanism. This component was developed in line with hygienic design criteria in strict accordance with DIN EN 1672-2, DIN EN ISO 14159 and the applicable EHEDG guidelines. The transition to the housing and cable is accomplished using flush-fitting seals. These are coloured blue for visibility, making them easily distinguishable from foodstuffs. The material used in all the seals is approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guideline 21 CFR 177.2600.
A double attachment over the inner seal and additional clamping jaws provides reliable strain relief for the inserted cables.
The hygienic cable gland is also highly resistant to chemicals and thermal stress. Both the 1.4305 grade stainless steel used in its construction and the seals are resistant to the cleaning agents, disinfectants, acids and alkalis commonly used in the food industry, as well as to condensed water.
Assembly is also extremely straightforward. The new design does away with the outer hexagonal bolt that would normally attach the component to the housing. Instead, this function is now performed by an assembly tool. This is fitted to the lower part of the cable gland and manipulated from the outside or the inside using an Allen key, thus allowing the counter nut to be tightened initially from just one side.
As well as its use in the food industry, the Rittal cable gland is safe for use in other environments too, for example clean rooms (in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries), biotechnology and aseptic applications (in hospitals etc).
The benefits of faster and more effective cleaning with the associated savings in operating costs, lower hygiene risks and safer processes speak for themselves. And the new stainless steel Hygienic Design cable gland from Rittal makes a decisive contribution to all these factors.
Operators of machinery and systems in the food industry are increasingly expecting machine manufacturers to deliver hygienically optimised solutions. The new Hygienic Design product range from Rittal makes the company's housing systems ideal for the most demanding applications where hygiene is key. As part of the new range the cable gland has been consistently designed with hygiene requirements in mind, significantly reducing the risk of user contamination. Conventional cable glands present all kinds of niches where dirt can gather. These include cavities, crevices and external threads. But Rittal's new Hygienic Design version presents only smooth surfaces and gentle transitions, so dirt and micro-organisms do not stand a chance.
One special feature of the new cable gland is the cap nut that extends all the way to the mounting surface, thereby concealing the entire clamping and sealing mechanism. This component was developed in line with hygienic design criteria in strict accordance with DIN EN 1672-2, DIN EN ISO 14159 and the applicable EHEDG guidelines. The transition to the housing and cable is accomplished using flush-fitting seals. These are coloured blue for visibility, making them easily distinguishable from foodstuffs. The material used in all the seals is approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guideline 21 CFR 177.2600.
A double attachment over the inner seal and additional clamping jaws provides reliable strain relief for the inserted cables.
The hygienic cable gland is also highly resistant to chemicals and thermal stress. Both the 1.4305 grade stainless steel used in its construction and the seals are resistant to the cleaning agents, disinfectants, acids and alkalis commonly used in the food industry, as well as to condensed water.
Assembly is also extremely straightforward. The new design does away with the outer hexagonal bolt that would normally attach the component to the housing. Instead, this function is now performed by an assembly tool. This is fitted to the lower part of the cable gland and manipulated from the outside or the inside using an Allen key, thus allowing the counter nut to be tightened initially from just one side.
As well as its use in the food industry, the Rittal cable gland is safe for use in other environments too, for example clean rooms (in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries), biotechnology and aseptic applications (in hospitals etc).
The benefits of faster and more effective cleaning with the associated savings in operating costs, lower hygiene risks and safer processes speak for themselves. And the new stainless steel Hygienic Design cable gland from Rittal makes a decisive contribution to all these factors.
