September 2020

The newest addition to the HARTING Han® portfolio is the Han® F+B, a range of connectors designed for the requirements of the food processing, bottling and packaging industries. Within these sectors, hygiene and safety are key considerations, meaning machines and equipment must be easy to clean and designed so dirt pockets and bacteria cannot accumulate. The EN 1672-2 standard defines three distinct zones for food production, which differ in terms of contamination risks and the number of cleaning cycles required. Zone 1 is the food zone, where components come into direct contact with foodstuffs. Zone 2 is the splash zone, where components must be cleaned regularly using high pressure washing and chemicals to avoid contamination. Anything outside of these two zones is classed as a non-food zone, where the contamination risk is minimal. The Han® F+B has been specifically developed as a suitable product for the food zone and primarily the splash zone and there are several innovations which make it the ideal solution. Firstly, all hoods, housings and seals are IP69K rated, so the connections are fully protected and resistant to the water jets used to clean equipment. They also have large nooks and surfaces in accordance with the guidelines of the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), which allows cleaning and disinfecting agents to flow unhindered. For secure identification and easy traceability, the connectors are blue, although a black version is available. The range is Ecolab approved, meaning it is resistant to the highly aggressive cleaning agents used in the food and splash zones. As the housings are constructed from polypropylene, they conform to the directives of FDA 21, and all surfaces also have a smooth finish, which prevents impurities and bacteria from accumulating. The entire portfolio can also function in a wide temperature range from -40 to +125° C. As well as hygiene and safety concerns, HARTING have also considered the impact of machine downtimes, designing in features which keep production line disruptions down to a minimum. In order to embrace flexible schedules and the manufacturing of smaller batches, production lines must become more adaptable. As a result, the ability to quickly attach and detach connectors is vital if costly production downtimes are to be avoided. With the Han® F+B, operators do not need to open any cable glands on the control cabinet in order to decouple field devices, eliminating complex disconnecting and reconfiguring of fixed wiring. This solution allows for faster replacement of defective components and a more efficient method of changing equipment, meaning businesses in the food industry can shorten set-up times and reduce production stoppages. The Han® F+B series has also been designed so it can be plugged and unplugged easily, safely and quickly. Special fluting in the housing walls ensure that the installer's hands do not slip off the connector, even in damp or humid conditions. for the food and beverage industry HARTING launch versatile connectors COMPANY PROFILE To learnmore about the Han® F+B and download our FREE whitepaper, which givesmore detailed information about using connectors in food and beverage facilities, please visit www.harting.com/UK/en- gb /co nnectors-food-industry o r email salesUK@HARTING.com