Food packaging industry how to choose oil-free compressor
Food packaging industry background
the global food packaging market is expected to exceed $400 billion by 2025 (Smithers Pira 2023 report), with sterile packaging materials expected to grow at an annual rate of 8.3 percent. According to ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System requirements, compressed air in direct contact with food must meet the EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Group) Class 0 pollution level. In addition, the US FDA 21 CFR Part 11 electronic records specification also requires that production equipment must avoid the risk of hydrocarbon penetration, which poses a fundamental challenge to traditional oil-containing compressors.
The necessity of oil-free compression technology
food grade PET bottle embryo blow molding process has strict requirements for compressed air:
- dew point temperature:≤-40℃(ISO 8573-2 Class 2)
- oil residue: Must be controlled within 0.001 mg/m (conforming to ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certification)
the EU EC 1935/2004 regulations clearly state that the migration of lubricants exceeding 0.1 mg/kg will cause the packaging material to be judged as unqualified. The 8th edition of BRCGS, the British Retail Association, requires that the air source system of the bottle blowing machine must pass the microbiological test (ISO 8573-7:2003) and the total number of colonies must be less than 10 CFU/m.
Key Performance Parameters and Certification System
- oil control: ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certification is required (oil detection limit ≤ 0.001 mg/m, according to ASTM D6830 gas chromatography)
- moisture Management: Pressure dew point ≤-40 ℃(ISO 8573-2 Class 2, refer to BS EN ISO 7183 Annex B for measurement method)
- microbial inhibition: Compressed air must meet ISO 8573-7:2003 Class 1 standard (total number of colonies <1 CFU/m³)
- material compatibility equipment lubricants must meet NSF H1 food grade approval (FDA 21 CFR § 178.3570)
comparative Analysis of Technical Scheme
| contrast dimension | oil-free compressor solutions | oil Compressor Solution |
|---|---|---|
| oil residue risk | 0 mg/m (ISO 8573-1 Class 0 certification) | 0.01-0.1mg/m³ (three-stage filter required, maintenance cost increased by 35%) |
| microbial control ability | built-in UV sterilization module (ISO 8573-7:2003 Class 0) | rely on back-end sterilization filter (filter element needs to be replaced weekly) |
| dew point stability | ± 2 ℃ fluctuation (certified by ISO 8573-2 Class 2) | ± 5 ℃ fluctuation (affected by evaporation of lubricating oil) |
| full life cycle cost | 28% lower energy consumption (ISO 50001:2018 energy efficiency) | high energy consumption and regular replacement of oil separator ($12,000 increase in annual maintenance cost) |
| compliance Certification | at the same time meet the EHEDG, NSF, BRCGS certification | only ISO 8573-1 Class 1 base standard met |
summary
in the field of food packaging, compressed air systems that comply with the double standards of ISO 22000 and EHEDG have become the industry’s entry threshold. The permanent magnet synchronous oil-free screw unit developed by Shanghai granklin group has an oil content of 0 mg/m (certified by TV Rheinland ISO 8573-1 Class 0) and an integrated cold and dry module (conforming to ISO 8573-2 Class 2), which effectively avoids the cross-contamination risk stipulated in FDA 21 CFR 110.40. Compared with traditional equipment, this technology can reduce carbon emissions by 42% (according to ISO 14064-1:2018 measurement standard), providing compliance guarantee for the whole life cycle of aseptic packaging production lines.