In an increasingly competitive marketplace, operators of applications such as food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical processing are under pressure meet the highest standards of hygiene - and the repercussions of falling below these levels are unthinkable.

Failure to maintain cleanliness standards of electric motors and other equipment can result in product contamination, not to mention reduced efficiency and premature failure.

The problem is that washdowns with high-pressure water jets not only risk damage to motors and drives, they also spray debris onto equipment, which finds its way beneath rating plates and cooling fins. This provides a perfect place for bacteria to thrive, while the ingress of water can permanently damage components.

Solutions exist in the form of waterproof electric motors and variable-speed drives, such as those offered by Gibbons Engineering Group. The company recently launched its stainless steel motor and ABB ACS355 drive package – offering dust-tight equipment that’s fully resistant to high-pressure water jets.

Gibbons’ stainless steel motors have a completely smooth surface free of cooling fins or rating plates – with information laser engraved. There’s no paint to peel, chip or flake off, and the IP69K totally enclosed non-ventilated (TENV) casing means they can withstand powerful water jets.

For optimal speed control and energy efficiency, Gibbons can couple the motors with ABB ACS355 variable-speed drives, which are rated at IP66/67 ingress protection – meaning they’re dust-tight and impervious to water. Plus, a keypad membrane cover means the unit can be operated normally in all conditions.