This article is the second in a series showcasing the uses of 445M2 stainless steel. Read Part 1. Read Part 3.
The use of stainless steel plant and equipment in the food industry continues to prove its worth as an increasing number of processors adopt its use in line with the dedication and obligation to food quality and safety.
Whilst stainless steel grades 316 and 304 offer an environment of easy maintenance and cleaning, 445M2 stainless steel goes one step further.
445M2 panels have been supplied to Bertocchi Smallgoods by ASSDA Major Sponsor Austral Wright Metals, following a four-month trial of all three grades of stainless steel.
Bertocchi, a Melbourne-based company producing hams, bacon, salamis and other specialised continental smallgoods, sought an alternative to their existing painted steel linings after they discovered the life of the linings was too short for their high cleaning standards.
The walls and ceiling of the factory are regularly cleaned in line with a guarantee of the highest quality health and safety standards, together with absolute traceability of every unit of product.
This is where stainless steel stepped in. The hardness and smoothness of stainless steel enables it to resist the adhesion of soils and bio-films, and the excellent corrosion resistance allows it to be easily cleaned and sanitised. Indeed, laboratory tests prove stainless steel is significantly more hygienic than other materials, even when used for food contact surfaces. Moreover, the taste and colour of food products are not affected by stainless steels.
After four months of trialing panels of stainless steel grades 304, 316 and 445M2, Bertocchi Smallgoods chose the new generation ferritic grade 445M2 to line the factory – ceilings and walls. With superior corrosion resistance to grade 316, 445M2 resists the powerful cleaning agents used to keep the factory clean, as well as the hot, humid and salty atmosphere around the brine lines.
So far, Bertocchi has installed 10 tonnes of 445M2 0.7 x 1219 mm sheet with a 2B finish. The result? A clean, bright factory that’s easy to keep that way. And Bertocchi intends to keep going until the entire factory is lined with 445M2.
This article featured in Australian Stainless magazine - Issue 38, Summer 2006.