Watson-Marlow expands into food and beverage sector

Watson-Marlow has launched its Maxthane pump tubing elements and has received confirmation of FDA and EC1935/2004 certification on its Qdos pumps, allowing the company to expand its pump solutions to the food and beverage sector.

Designed to suit tasks that include the accurate and reliable dosing of flavours, colours and additives, Maxthane is said to provide long service life and food-grade compliance in accordance with FDA regulations 21 CFR177.1680, EC1935/2004 and EU regulation 10/2011. Maxthane is fully compatible with all types of food oils and most CIP (clean-in-place) chemicals and is manufactured from fully recyclable thermoplastic polyurethane. The tubing’s high peristaltic performance from a thinner wall and recyclable constitution reduces its environmental impact, supporting the growing sustainability initiatives of food plants.

Maxthane is designed for use with the Watson-Marlow 530 Series cased peristaltic pumps fitted with a 520 RET pumphead, which provide benefits such as high accuracy and rapid, simple maintenance, according to the company. Quick-change LoadSure (three sizes) options help ensure easy changeover. During maintenance routines, the operator simply replaces the element in the pumphead.

Maxthane supports flow rates up to 3.5 L/m and pressure up to 7 bar to deliver dosing and metering accuracy for a wide range of applications.

The company’s Qdos pumps also now carry the certification required for use in food and beverage processing applications: EC1935/2004, EU regulation 10/2011; and FDA regulation 21CFR parts 170–199.

Offering high accuracy (20,000:1 turndown ratio and linear ±1% accuracy) Qdos pumps provide a value-based solution in dosing and metering applications such as water conditioning and vitamin addition, or viscosity modifiers. ± 0.5% repeatability further helps to maintain continuous product consistency.

“The food and beverage sector has a number of important pumping demands, including regulatory compliance, chemical compatibility, high performance and easy maintenance,” said Chris Palmer, Product Manager at Watson-Marlow. “Now, thanks to the advanced materials technology invested in Maxthane, food plants can add sustainability to the list of benefits they receive. In addition, confirmation of key certifications on Qdos means we are able to bring the process performance benefits of Qdos to a much wider audience.”