What is steam and how is it created?

OK, let’s start with the basics… Steam is the gaseous form of water produced when liquid water is heated to boiling (100°C). Incredibly versatile, steam is used for heating, cooking, power-generation, and, most relevant here, for cleaning. Powerful enough to kill 99.9% of bacteria, tackle even the toughest mould, and remove stains, grease and odor, steam is the ideal cleaning tool for use in the food industry.

Using industrial steam generators, water from a reservoir or external mains supply is heated under pressure, which when released creates ‘dry’ steam (so called because of its low moisture content) – the steam is then directed through an application and onto the surface to be cleaned. The three models of industrial steam generator available from KHD Technology have power outputs designed to match the outlets available in factory settings, and are portable to accompany our portable conveyor belt steam cleaning solutions.

What are the benefits of using steam?

Environmental benefits of dry steam cleaning

Compared to traditional methods of cleaning, industrial steam cleaning is much more environmentally beneficial. Water itself is a natural resource, giving it obvious advantages over chemicals, which can damage conveyor belts with continued use. But steam has further advantages over water:

Cleaning tasks that may require tonnes of water ‘(and the power necessary to heat it) can be achieved using only litres of water, reducing the energy cost required for the same task.
Because of the high heating cycle, steam generation kills microorganisms in the supply water and the released dry steam energy breaks down debris and kills microorganisms on the target surfaces.
In contrast to chemical treatment for water cleaning, there are no residual chemicals to wash away.

Equipment supplied by KHD Technology is on DEFRA’s Water Efficiency Technology list and is an ideal choice for manufacturers looking to reduce their environmental impact.

Most suitable factory cleaning method

The dry steam cleaning method can easily achieve and often exceed food hygiene standards, and has particular advantages in dry environments, like those used for bread making:

Destroys mould-causing microorganisms that can be proliferated with wet cleaning.
Extensive drying times are avoided – steam simply evaporates off, leaving surfaces clean and dry.
Machinery does not have to be routinely dismantled for cleaning and drying, reducing factory downtime.

KHD’s Mesh Conveyor Belt Cleaning system works in environments where wet cleaning is not possible or practical. The portable unit sits over the conveyor belt and steam is forced into and through the mesh, cleaning as the belt passes through.

Reduce your factory bottom line

Cleanliness standards in the food industry only ever increase, meaning that manufacturers are continuously required to do more with the same amount of resource. Industrial steam cleaning has definite advantages over traditional wet cleaning when it comes to productivity and efficiency:

The same task can be completed in much less time, using less resource (water, power and people), often to a higher standard.
KHD systems have been designed with an easy-to-use interface that doesn’t require constant attendance while in operation.
The resource freed-up can be used to focus on other cleaning tasks that may have been otherwise overlooked.
Fixed conveyor belt cleaners have the potential to be used during production. Portable conveyor belt cleaners can be quickly moved between lines and reduce machine shutdown to a fraction of the time. In both cases, production downtime is decreased, avoiding delays, missed quotas and food wastage.

KHD Technology

Our range of products have been designed to solve problems. We will look at your process and find the solution that is right for you, with a demonstration on site. Please get in touch or visit our website for more information.