How Bel-Ray® Greases Protect Bearings Against The Toughest Poultry Processing Challenges

Bearings are crucial components in poultry processing machinery, driving essential operations from conveyor systems and processing equipment to farm equipment. However, these bearings face relentless assaults from contamination, temperature extremes, and aggressive cleaning regimens that are common in the industry. Protecting bearing integrity is paramount for preventing premature failure and costly downtime, as well as for extending equipment life.

Poultry processing also requires strict compliance with stringent hygiene and operational standards (such as being NSF H1 approved), necessitating the use of food-grade lubricants for critical components like bearings. Food-grade lubricants offer a wide range of food-grade additives to meet diverse performance needs, challenging perceptions of limited functionality.

Bel-Ray® addresses critical bearing challenges with our specialized No-Tox® greases, specifically No-Tox® Food Grade Clear Grease and No-Tox® HD Food Grade Grease. These products are NSF H1 registered, kosher and pareve approved, and halal certified. This ensures compliance, and it is recommended for use in poultry processing plants.

Bearing Challenges In Poultry Processing

Bearings in poultry-processing environments face significant equipment reliability and performance challenges due to the harsh conditions that compromise lubrication integrity. The primary issues that bearings face stem directly from a combination of the operating environment and the necessary cleaning procedures, which constantly challenge the effectiveness of lubricants.

• High-Pressure Washdowns: Processing plants require rigorous daily cleaning using high-pressure, high-temperature water and harsh sanitizers and detergents. The caustic cleaning process can rapidly wash out grease, degrade lubricants, and compromise bearing seal integrity. This necessitates relubrication or the choice of more robust lubricants, as water entering the bearing houses leads to moisture ingress. This reduces lubricant performance and causes damaging corrosion.
• High Humidity And Condensation: The constant presence of moisture promotes rust and corrosion. Without proper rust inhibitors in the lubricant, bearing surfaces pit and degrade. This issue increases friction and failure rates.
• Process Contaminants And Contamination Risk: Bearings are exposed to blood, fat, feathers, and meat particles. These wet and often corrosive elements can contaminate bearing lubricants. It increases wear, reduces bearing lifespan, and poses hygiene and food-safety risks.
• Temperature Cycling: Bearings move between the cold temperatures of the chilling and freezing processes and the heat generated during operation and high-temperature washdowns. Bearings must reliably function across wide temperature swings.

Bel-Ray Greases: Targeted Bearing Protection

Bel-Ray offers two key NSF H1 registered food-grade grease solutions specifically tailored to counter the different operational needs and environmental demands placed on bearings in poultry processing.

Bel-Ray No-Tox® HD Food Grade Grease

Bel-Ray No-Tox® HD Food Grade Grease is an aluminum complex white mineral oil-based grease formulated for heavy-duty and high-stress applications. It addresses the need for robust extreme pressure (EP) performance in challenging areas. It is recommended for use in:

• Plain and antifriction bearings
• Bushings, slides, guides, and other moving parts
• Wet and washdown areas
• Most heavy-duty grease applications in food plants, such as poultry processing

Bel-Ray No-Tox® Food Grade Clear Grease

No-Tox® Food Grade Clear Grease is a white mineral oil-based, aluminum-complex thickened food machinery grease suitable for the wet environments often encountered in the poultry processing industry. It excels in protecting components against the most pervasive environmental threat: water and chemical washdowns.

• This grease is specifically designed for use in wet and washdown areas. This high-washout resistance helps bearings withstand the frequent cleaning regimens.
• It is recommended for bearings and bushings in general equipment, as well as plain and antifriction bearings, slides, guides, and other moving parts.
• It should be used where a non-EP general purpose grease is required.

With the use of our multipurpose No-Tox products, poultry processors can simplify inventory and maintain robust bearing performance while adhering to strict NSF H1 safety standards.

Contact our team to learn more.