Integrating Waterproof HMIs with Leading Food & Beverage Manufacturers

A washdown area is a part of a plant that is cleaned regularly with water, detergents and sanitizers, often hot and at high pressure, to keep it hygienic. They are common in food, beverage, dairy, meat and pharmaceutical production, and any equipment installed there has to be sealed, corrosion resistant and easy to clean.

Both ratings mean the enclosure is dust tight, but they test water in different ways. IP67 covers temporary immersion, up to 1 m deep for 30 minutes. IP69K covers close-range, high-pressure, high-temperature water jets, like those used in wash-downs. Passing one does not mean passing the other, so equipment that faces both is tested to both.

EHEDG, the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group, is a consortium of equipment makers, food producers, research institutes and public health bodies, founded in 1989. It publishes guidelines on hygienic design for food processing equipment and certifies equipment designs that pass its cleanability tests.

3-A Sanitary Standards are US design standards for equipment used in dairy, food and beverage processing, published by 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc. They set requirements for materials, surface finishes and construction so equipment can be cleaned and sanitized properly. Equipment that passes third-party verification can carry the 3-A Symbol.

Food grade stainless steel is stainless steel suitable for contact with food, most commonly grade 304 (18/8) and grade 316. Both are corrosion resistant, non-porous and easy to clean. “Food grade” is a description rather than a single standard: compliance comes from the food-contact regulations of your market.

IP69K means an enclosure is dust-tight and protected against high-pressure, high-temperature water jets per DIN 40050-9 — 80°C water at 8—10 MPa from close range. It is the food and beverage industry standard for sanitary wash-down on both sides of the Atlantic — and it does NOT imply submersion protection.