Stainless steel motors for robot salad cutters

Typically, pay-back on equipment investments like motors is quoted in terms of years or perhaps months: but payback was measured in days for Florette Soleco.

At the Florette Soleco salad production plant near Lichfield the pay-back for investment in a stainless steel motor is quoted as less than a month! As well as being financially justified, the design characteristics of the stainless motor are compatible with the company's hygiene commitment.

This is in line with the HACCP-based 'Good Practice Guide' (the first recognised industry guide), for which the company was a co-author.

Florette Soleco, Europe's leading producer of pre-prepared salads recently installed a 2.2 kW stainless steel motor from Marlin Stainless to replace a motor employed to drive salad leaf cutting blades on a specially engineered robot; an application subject to the presence of water and frequent hose wash downs.

"Since being installed more than a month ago, the Marlin motor has required no attention," said Colin Blenkinsop, chief engineer at Florette Soleco.

"This has obvious benefits of uninterrupted production and significant financial savings.

Consequently, we are planning to install a Marlin stainless motor on a second similar machine".

Also, because of the success with this application, the feasibility of employing Marlin Stainless motor/gearbox packages for a number of robot arms on the same machine is being explored.

In addition to its corrosion and water (IP66 rating) resistant characteristics, the Marlin motor has a smooth body.

This means, unlike conventional AC motors, there are no cooling fins to trap potentially contaminating matter.

Further, it is has a round terminal box and its details are etched into the body - no nameplate to trap waste product or fall off into the food.

Marlin motors are offered in power ratings from 0.18 to 7.5 kW in metric frame sizes up to 132 as TEFC machines.

Smaller units (up to 0.75 kW) are also available from 63 frame size as TENV machines.

Helping to extend the range of applications for the Marlin motors are their compatible stainless steel gearboxes.

These worm gearboxes, which have hollow shafts with life lubricated gears, are available with centre distances of 31, 42 and 61mm with ratios from 5:1 to 75:1.

Torques range from 0.9Nm to 208Nm.

For Florette, any equipment that boosts production and efficiency is welcome: Florette claims to be the fastest growing brand within the prepared salads sector.

In addition to its various leaf salad varieties, the Florette range now includes 'snack bowl' and 'kit' salads together with complementary dressings.