Much like any other industry, manufacturing of food and beverages operates using machines, robots, conveyor belts, pipelines, tanks, pumps… Sounds familiar, right?

And much like in any other industry, there are screwes to be locked, bearings, shafts and other cylindrical parts to be retained, flanges and fittings to be sealed, small repairs to be done – sometimes quite urgently, too.

Much like in any other industry, adhesives and sealants can be used here as well. Reasonable concern of any maintenance engineer in this case, however, isn’t just how quickly and efficiently the repairs or maintenance activities can be performed, but also which chemicals can be used while being absolutely sure there’s no danger of contaminating foodstuffs with harmful substances.

Thankfully, as we all have to eat – maintenance and chemical engineers alike – someone had thought of creating and testing adhesives and sealants that can be safely used in food processing industries. These products can certainly have approvals for different levels of contact with foodstuffs so it’s always advisable to check with an expert, but a good overview can be found here.