3 Benefits of Cast Urethane in Food Production

Many industries are turning to urethane parts and products for a variety of applications. Cast urethane offer many benefits over conventional materials such as elastomers and plastics including strength, toughness, durability, and versatility. One of the industries taking advantage of cast urethane is food processing. The food processing sector utilizes a broad spectrum of cast urethane parts and components. Urethane products manufactured for the food processing industry include rings, gaskets, scrapers, chute liners, tabletops and custom molded FDA approved items.

Food production is a demanding industry where sanitation is critical and the risk of contamination must be minimized. For these reasons, components used in food packaging and processing equipment are required to be FDA compliant. There are two main types of food processing applications that are based on the production environment: wet and dry. FDA grants approval for production equipment for either wet or dry service. An example of an FDA dry application is a urethane guard used on a conveyor that carries dry products, such as sugar or rice. Similarly, an FDA wet application is when a urethane guard is used on a conveyor that carries fish or other meat products.

It is imperative that food producers work with a trusted partner, like PSI, who has the requisite experience and offers a myriad of FDA approved products. Click here to learn more about PSI’s FDA approved cast urethane products for wet and dry food processing applications.

Below are three key benefits of employing cast urethane in food production applications. It should be noted that these benefits result in product longevity as well as fewer downtimes and disruptions to operations – making cast urethane products a cost-effective solution for food production.

Superb Abrasion and Impact Resistance: cast urethane products are known for their abrasion and wear resistance, resulting in longer service life and fewer downtimes for replacement. In fact, no other metal or rubber stands up to abrasive materials as well as urethane. Plastics often crack or break under impact loading or stress, especially at higher durometers (hardness). Conversely, urethane is not brittle and will maintain its strength and impact resistance over a range of durometers. Urethanes are also tear-resistant, and can withstand a wide range of operating conditions and environments without sacrificing quality or performance. For example, urethane maintains excellent mechanical properties in extreme high and low operating temperatures – something plastic simply cannot do. These characteristics make cast urethane an excellent choice for food production.

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Versatility and Fully Customizable: cast urethane is ideal for a variety of applications as it can be formulated to meet the specific needs of each application. Urethane products are customizable including color, thickness, shape, and durometer (hardness). When compared to plastic, urethane offers versatility and reliability that is unmatched, which makes it the preferred material for many industrial applications including food production. Whether you need FDA approved wet or dry formulations or specific durometers for grip or strength, urethane can be formulated to give the best wear for your food production application.
Excellent Tensile Strength & Elasticity: plastics tend to stretch and either break or deform, unable to return to their original shape. Urethane has incredible elasticity and is able to be stretched and regain its shape without sacrificing strength or integrity. Additionally, polyurethane has the ability to handle more pounds per square inch than rubber without rupturing and breaking apart. These attributes provide essential functionality to food production equipment like gaskets and conveyor rollers, especially when systems are running fast and carrying a great deal of weight.

About PSI Urethanes

With over 50 years of experience delivering the highest quality urethane products, PSI Urethanes stands unequaled in helping companies in hundreds of industries around the world apply urethane products to their critical business applications. Since 1966, through our own independent research and activity in the Polyurethane Manufacturers Association, PSI Urethanes has stayed on the leading edge of urethane technology – including developing advances in new materials, comprehensive designs, and processing technologies. Today we are among the most respected and trusted suppliers of custom cast urethane products.

We operate from our 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, which houses an extensive stock of polyurethane products. Our fully equipped manufacturing facility includes a versatile range of processing machinery, which allows us to work on unique, one-of-a-kind projects, as well as high volume components. Our in-house engineering, tooling, and custom mold shop, produces custom and stock production orders with exceptionally fast turn-around times. From conception to prototyping, to final production runs, our technical representatives and design engineers will work closely with your staff to meet your critical tolerances and specifications. You are guaranteed to receive experienced, professional, and personalized service from the first contact through your on-time delivery, with complete confidentiality and dedication to protecting your good name.

3 Benefits of Cast Urethane in Food Production