Hygienic plain bearings in sealing units of KHS filling systems

Hygienically flawless systems for filling beverages: With this goal, the market leader KHS adopted the bearing technology that is used in the linear stroke of bottle capping elements.

For the capping units of PET bottling plants, KHS  was looking for particularly hygienic slide sheets for the linear stroke bearings. These needed to be able to be rinsed through during cleaning.

The problem is that the hygienically particularly sensitive area is susceptible to germs. A conventional bearing is out of the question. The up to 36 capping units, which lift on a kind of carousel and close over 1,300 bottles per minute, were to receive a bearing solution that cleans significantly better. The usual requirements of high-performance filling systems, such as fast cycles in continuous operation, were also placed on the desired bearing arrangement.

A sliding element specially developed for KHS, which is not flat on the inside towards the shaft, but has a ribbed structure. The advantage of this is that the inside of the bearing is not left out during cleaning, thus raising hygiene standards. On the outside, the new drylin® JUM-01-30 sliding sheets have a dimpled structure. Here, too, water can easily flow through and reach even the smallest soiling.
The bearings made from the standard material iglidur® J naturally also work with incorporated lubricant to prevent product contamination from oil or grease.
And the tests prove the effectiveness of the special bearing. Thanks to the special surface structure on the inside and outside of the bearing, the highest hygiene requirements are met. This is proven by germ tests carried out by KHS.