Food hygiene. The Nestlé Product Technology Centre (PTC) in Orbe, Switzerland, is the group-wide research and development center for coffee, chocolate drinks and malt beverages. Nestlé demands state-of-the-art process technology, high availability and hygienic design from its suppliers when purchasing new machines. Enter Rittal.
"We simply want to acquire the best and most modern products the market has to offer." - Phillipe Demarque, Project Manager, Nestlé PTC Orbe
Efficient cleaning
Nestlé has drawn up a comprehensive hygiene specification for all open processes in foodstuffs production. This stipulates how electrical cables are to be fixed in place, regulates the cleanability of the surfaces of systems and machines and spells out the precautions to be taken during welding. “At Nestlé, we stay on the safe side and simply add two more sets of requirements,” says Philippe Demarque, Project Manager at the PTC.
Everywhere, there are bundles of stainless steel pipelines for different qualities of water or compressed air that lead to the individual containers and machines. The easy accessibility of the installations plays a role in the maintenance of the systems and machines in the PTC. The daily cleaning processes have to be performed efficiently.
CIP (clean-in-place) cleaning is conducted step-by-step: Cleaning fluid mixed with sodium hydroxide solution first dissolves the dirt in the containers, which are then rinsed out. This is followed by oxygen-enriched water and finally hot water. Rinsing is then performed, several times. Mr. Demarque describes the practice: “The high-pressure cleaner is our most important tool. The units are cleaned from top to bottom; the river of water and foam is aimed at taking everything with it.”
Hygienic Design (HD) is becoming increasingly important for efficient cleaning processes, including those at Nestlé. The demand for hygienic design is comparatively new. More than 20 years ago, the metal surfaces of many enclosures and housings consisted of a galvanized protective layer. Galvanized metal can rust, so the manufacturers turned to stainless steel surfaces. Rittal has committed itself to hygienic design and has rapidly become a system partner to the food industry. Several Rittal enclosures, operating housings and terminal boxes are installed in the Nestlé PTC. Their electronic components are protected against dust, water and other foreign influences.
Compact enclosures in an easy-to-clean design
The benefits of Rittal’s HD products over older enclosures immediately catch the eye: Gap-free, all-round silicone gaskets in a striking shade of blue are inserted securely on the insides of doors and walls. The hinges are located inside the enclosure. This provides an exceptionally easy-to-clean design. Hygienic Design extends down to the smallest detail: Large, see-through viewing covers are attached to protect buttons or displays. The transition from viewing cover to frame is free of gaps. The screw caps are also in hygenic design, as are the enclosure keys. And the most obvious design element a great advantage to a foodstuffs operation: The compact enclosures have a roof pitch of 30 degrees, allowing liquids to run off quickly. In addition, the HD enclosures are mounted with round, metal distance spacers for wall-mounting. This allows the rear panel of the enclosure to be cleaned.
The Nestlé Product Technology Centre wants to continue setting the technical benchmark within Nestlé and surprise people with even more innovations. Rittal will maintain their commitment to providing innovation to all their food and beverage processing customers. For more information, download our free Food & Beverage Guide for updates on on all our latest products. 
