Hygienic, washdown-ready measurement for dairy, beverage, bakery and ready-meal lines, where the sensor has to survive CIP chemistry as well as the process.
Food and beverage plants ask two things of a sensor that general industry does not: it must not create a cleaning shadow, and it must survive the cleaning itself. A standard probe welded into a pocket leaves a crevice that no CIP cycle reaches, and a standard IP67 connector fills with water after a few hundred washdown cycles.
Our hygienic range therefore starts with the geometry. Clamp and tri-clamp connections with Ra 0.4 µm finishes, flush diaphragms with no dead volume, and crevice-free stainless housings that drain. Sealing is IP69K with a defined cable and gland combination, because the rating only holds if the whole assembly is rated.
For process control we supply fast-response RTDs that follow a temperature step during pasteurisation, sanitary pressure transmitters for homogenisers and fillers, and radar level sensors that read through foam in fermentation tanks. Documentation includes 3-A and EHEDG conformity statements and material certificates for product-contact parts.
Application Reality
These are the failure modes we are called in to solve, and the specification change that addresses each one.
A probe mounted in a threaded boss creates a zone the CIP flow cannot reach, which becomes a bacterial harbourage. Flush-diaphragm and clamp-mounted designs eliminate the pocket entirely.
Caustic at 2% and nitric acid at 1% at 80 °C will attack the wrong elastomer within months. We specify EPDM or FKM seals according to the actual cleaning regime, not a default.
Steam sterilisation puts a step change of over 100 °C on the sensor. Thin-film RTDs with a small mass survive it and settle quickly; heavy probes lag and show a false plateau.
An IP69K sensor with an IP67 cable is an IP67 installation. The cordset, gland and junction box must be rated together, which is why we supply them as a matched set.
Retailer audits ask for material certificates and calibration records per batch. Every hygienic sensor ships with a certificate pack rather than a generic datasheet.
Products
DM-CJ08-JB-8P
DM-SD24-LPI-2R
DM-CB05-M12-5P
DM-PC18-8-IOL
DM-PX12-4-PNP
DM-LF120-CAP
DM-LR60-RD-30M
DM-FT80-TB-050
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Standards
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 3-A Sanitary Standards | Hygienic design, cleanable connections |
| EHEDG guidelines | Cleanability of the installed sensor |
| FDA 21 CFR 177 | Food-contact material compliance |
| EC 1935/2004 | Food contact material framework |
Application Example
Situation
A dairy was seeing 0.8 °C of drift on its pasteuriser holding-tube outlet, enough to trigger frequent divert-to-balance-tank events and product loss.
What we changed
The existing 6 mm sheath RTD was replaced with a 3 mm thin-film RTD in a clamp connection, matched with a head-mount transmitter calibrated as a pair, and the loop was re-ranged at the panel.
Result
Drift fell below 0.2 °C, divert events dropped by roughly 70%, and the plant standardised the same assembly on two further pasteurisers.
FAQ
Ra 0.8 µm is the common minimum for hygienic design; Ra 0.4 µm is specified for dairy, pharmaceutical and aseptic duty. The finish must also be achievable on the weld or the connection, or the assembly will not pass an audit.
Only if the washdown is gentle and infrequent. High-pressure cleaning at close range needs IP69K on the sensor, the cable and the connector, and the gland must be tightened to the specified torque. A single IP67 component in the chain redefines the whole installation rating.
Use 80 GHz radar rather than ultrasonic. Foam absorbs the acoustic pulse but passes the radar signal, and the narrow beam avoids the agitator shaft and the tank wall.
Yes. 3.1 certificates to EN 10204 for wetted metal parts, FDA and EC 1935/2004 declarations for elastomers, and a calibration certificate traceable to national standards.
EPDM for the standard caustic and acid sequence, FKM where fats, oils or higher temperatures are involved. PTFE-faced seals are used for aggressive flavourings and solvents.
Send the application details and get a specification back within one business day.