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28 March, 2024

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Anti-bacterial motors: better than stainless steel?
Published:  07 June, 2007

Danfoss Bauer has unveiled an anti-bacterial paint finish for its geared motors which, it claims, has advantages over stainless steel motors for use in food and beverage plants. The AsepticAntibac finish releases silver ions that kill off bacteria, yeasts, fungus and other micro-bacterial agents as soon as they come into contact with it, without needing to wait for aggressive washdowns. The process is said to be harmless to humans, animals and plants.

Danfoss Bauer asserts that the alternative approach of using costly IP66 or IP67 rated stainless steel motors provides greater opportunities for microbacterial substances to adhere to the motor casing. At the microscopic level, it says, the stainless steel surfaces have imperfections large enough to contain harmful bacteria. It adds that this risk is exacerbated by the tendency of stainless steel to keep water on its surface due to the hydrophilic effect.

Danfoss Bauer says that when its anti-bacterial paint finish is applied to a motor’s metal surface, the paint fills in the tiny imperfections to create a smoother surface than stainless steel, with less opportunity for bacteria to evade the washdown process. The elimination of the hydrophilic effect also means that contaminated water drains rapidly from the coated motor and gearbox surfaces.

According to Danfoss Bauer, the antibacterial coating will allow cleaning intervals to be extended, thus reducing plant downtime. It also says that the painted cast-iron motors are more efficient than stainless-steel alternatives.

Danfoss Bauer aseptic motor

The anti-bacterial coating can be applied as an option to Danfoss Bauer’s AsepticDrive geared motors (shown above), which span ratings from 0.25–2.2kW and can be supplied with helical, parallel shaft, bevel or worm gearboxes. The motors have no fans, thus avoiding the risk of germs and dust particles being sucked in and dispersed over a wide area.

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