Producing Accurate Change Parts from Food-Grade Plastics using our FARO Arm

In the food processing industry, maintaining hygiene, efficiency, and precision is critical. One key component in ensuring smooth operations is the use of change parts—interchangeable components that are swapped in and out of machines to accommodate different product sizes or configurations. These parts are crucial for adapting production lines to handle varying shapes, sizes, and packaging types. For food production lines, precise, reliable, and hygienic change parts are essential.

At Supply Services, we utilise cutting-edge technology to produce these parts with high accuracy. Our FARO Arm, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM), has transformed the production process, ensuring that each change part meets strict standards for both function and safety. In this blog, we will explore how the FARO Arm is used to produce high-precision change parts from food-grade plastics, highlighting its features, benefits, and how it plays a critical role in improving efficiency and quality within food processing environments.

Change parts refer to the modular components that are swapped in and out of food processing machines, including rinser jaws, fillers, cappers, star wheels, ploughs, feed screws, cap chuck inserts, dead plates, inverters and many more. These components allow food processing equipment to quickly adapt to different product sizes, packaging configurations, and production requirements.

Food-grade materials used in these parts must comply with strict hygiene standards. They need to be non-toxic, durable, and easy to clean. Food-grade plastics are an ideal choice due to their flexibility, resistance to wear and tear, and compliance with regulatory standards such as FDA and EU 10/2011 food safety regulations.

The FARO Arm is a high-precision 3D digital measuring tool that allows us to scan, inspect, and measure parts with remarkable accuracy. This portable device uses either contact probing or laser scanning to capture precise measurements of a part’s geometry in 3D space. The FARO Arm’s ability to measure critical dimensions and surface features ensures that change parts meet exact specifications and fit perfectly into the machinery they are intended for.

By leveraging the FARO Arm, we can achieve high levels of precision in the design and production of change parts. This level of accuracy aids in preventing errors, inefficiencies, and costly downtime in food processing operations.

1. Enhanced Accuracy for Seamless Fit

One of the biggest advantages of the FARO Arm is its ability to perform high-accuracy inspections. Once a change part is produced, the FARO Arm can be used to measure it against its design specifications before it is put into service. This ensures that every part fits perfectly within the machinery, which is especially important when working with food-grade plastics, where even minor deviations in size or shape can cause operational issues. By measuring critical dimensions, tolerances, and surface features, the FARO Arm ensures that every change part is within acceptable limits, reducing the likelihood of production errors and improving the overall reliability of the machinery.

2. Faster Production & Reduced Downtime

In the food industry, equipment downtime can lead to delays in production and significant revenue loss. The FARO Arm streamlines the production process by offering faster design validation and quality control. By reducing the time spent on manual measurements and adjustments, manufacturers can produce change parts more effectively and minimise downtime. This increases overall production capacity, allowing manufacturers to maintain smooth operations.

3. Improved Prototyping and Customisation

The FARO Arm’s ability to accurately scan and measure parts is a game-changer when it comes to prototyping and customising change parts. Whether you need to create a new part from scratch or modify an existing one, the FARO Arm ensures that the final product fits precisely within the machinery. This makes it possible to create highly specific, custom solutions for clients in the food processing industry.

Need high-precision, food-grade change parts for your equipment? Contact Supply Services today to see how our FARO Arm technology ensures accuracy, efficiency, and seamless integration for your operations. We offer fast and reliable service nation-wide.