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Solid State Relays and the Food & Beverage Industry
Food & Beverage Industry problematics
The Food & Beverage industry is an essential and vital industry we all need.
This industry needs to fit many criteria in terms of Public Health, and must also offer products and services to the whole world, at reasonable prices, without having an impact on the quality of the products. That implies being constantly aware of the situation in order to properly manage production and avoid shortages or Public Health issues.
Handling all of these factors at once can be very complex, and we were able to note the difficulty during the Covid crisis, or current shortages linked to the war in Ukraine.
The Food & Beverage Industry and the manufacturers providing machines and components for this industry need to invest and innovate constantly in order to overcome existing and future problematics.
Market trends
Automation and robotics
Nowadays, automation and robotics are a must in terms of optimization and cost reduction of production in the food & beverage industry.
From the small neighbourhood restaurant to the prepared food factory, food & beverage companies constantly need to innovate in order to improve their productivity and answer the increased population demand. The automation and robotics solutions allow to cope with conditions.
Automation and robotics also allow to answer more and more consumers’ needs, looking for quality products available at all times. The situation was indeed observed during Lockdown, where many households used food delivery services. These changes in our society have opened new doors in terms of innovations with the arrival of homemade pizzas vending machines for example.
Efficient cooking equipment
Because of the boom of pick-up and delivery services, professional kitchens need to be equipped with efficient, precise, fast and safe cooking equipment.
Indeed, restaurants, cafés and fast foods must use more and more innovative equipment in order to cook faster without having an impact on the quality of the meals. Most of the professional kitchens are now equipped with steam ovens, fryers, food-warming cabinets, and more.
It is then very important for restaurant owners to install low-consumption equipment that insures the safety of the users and the health of the customers while having precise control of the cooking temperature.
Regulations
EMC compliance
The EMC directives (electromagnetic compatibility) aim to limit electromagnetic emissions of all-electric and electronic devices for household and commercial uses, in order to avoid interferences with other devices (TVs, electronic lines, etc.)
IEC 60947-4-3 Environment B compliance
The IEC 60947-4-3 Environment B norm is applied to all household, commercial and industrial low-power installations. It aims to regulate acoustic noises.
The Solid State Relay solution
Nowadays, Solid State Relays are highly used in food & beverage industry equipment. Solid State Relays have indeed replaced most of the much more fragile and less resistant to harsh environments electromagnetic relays (EMRs).
The Solid State Relay solution is the first choice for food & beverage industry equipment (ovens, fryers, pizza ovens, coffee machines, and more) thanks to their very long service life (no movement), and their conception made with semi-conductors.
celduc® SSR application examples
- Cooking ovens
In cooking ovens, SSRs are used to :
- control the heating resistance,
- control the water heater for vapour production in combined ovens with a convection system
- control the motor of the hot air distribution fan
Key products: Two-phase and EMC optimised Solid State Relays
- Rotary pizza ovens
In rotary pizza ovens, SSRs are used to control heating elements and the motor of the rotating bedplate.
Key products : Single phase SSRs : okpac® range / Three-phase SSRs : cel3pac® & sightpac® ranges
- Bakery ovens and equipment
In bakery ovens and equipment, SSRs are used to control pre-heating and heating elements.
Key products : EMC optimised SSRs / Three-Phase SSRS : cel3pac® & sightpac® ranges
- Cooking suites
In cooking suites, SSRs are used for temperature and heating element control.
Key products : Single phase SSR : celpac® range / Temperature controller: ECOM
- Fryers and Fast Food Equipment
In Fryers and Fast Food equipment, SSRs are used for heating element control.
Key products : Single phase SSRs : okpac® range / Three-phase SSRs : cel3pac® & sightpac® ranges
- Toasters & panini grill
In Fryers and Fast Food equipment, SSRs are used for heating element control.
Key products : Single phase SSRs : celpac® range & Faston terminals
- Coffee machines
In coffee machines, SSRs are used for water heating control and motor control of grinders and pumps.
Key products : Two-phase SSRs : Faston terminals / Single Phase SSRs : okpac® range / Four-leg SSR
- Hot-drinks vending machines
In Hot-drinks vending machines, SSRs are used to control the heating elements.
Key products : Single Phase SSRs : okpac® range
- Chocolate processing machines
In chocolate processing machines, SSRs are used for the heating control of the pre-heating time process, tempering and moulding of chocolate.
Key products : Single phase SSRs : okpac® range / Three-phase SSRs : cel3pac® & sightpac® ranges
Why use Solid State Relays?
Professional equipment in the food and beverage industry can be used hundreds of times a day, and must be highly reliable.
celduc® Solid State Relays have the following advantages :
- Easy, and fast to install
- Compact solutions
- Long lifetime and reliability
- EMC optimised (low electromagnetic emission – low RFI)
- Very low energy consumption
- Generate no noise
- Shock and vibration resistant
- High switching speed for a precise set-up
- CE marking
- International standards, including IEC 60947-4-3
For more details about celduc® SSRs and the food and beverage industry, check out the following video :