EDITORIAL - Elevating Food & Beverage Safety Standards With The FABS Series

The increased use of computers in the food and beverage manufacturing process has revolutionised the industry, offering a wide range of advantages that improve efficiency, precision and quality. This shift towards adapting more digital technologies has redefined production methods, enabling precise recipe formulation, real-time monitoring and automation of processes, streamlined inventory management, and enhanced quality control. By seamlessly integrating computer systems into their process, food and beverage manufacturers can achieve higher levels of consistency, productivity, and innovation while meeting the ever-changing demands of consumers in an increasingly competitive market. However, with all these benefits comes a challenge, integrating these systems into their process while maintaining a high standard of hygiene.

The Challenge

While computers bring improved efficiency, precision, and quality to the food and beverage industry, they also pose risks of transferring harmful contaminants to the products being produced. Through regular daily use, airborne particles, splashes, spills and even direct touch from operators, can easily result in harmful bacteria and viruses settling on computer surfaces. Without the correct hygiene and cleaning standards in place, this can then easily be transferred to the food and beverage products being produced. Therefore, when integrating computers into their process, food and beverage manufacturers need to make sure they choose the right equipment that will enable them to maintain a high standard of hygiene and cleaning.

When choosing computer equipment for their business, food and beverage manufacturers should keep in mind such things as:

• Design and Materials: It is essential that the computer is designed in a way that allows it to be easily cleaned, and that any material that is used in construction is safe for contact with food. 
• Cleaning and Sanitation: The computer should be able to handle a strict procedure of regular cleaning and sanitation so as to prevent the growth and spread of harmful contaminants. This may include a resistance to chemicals that are used for cleaning.
• Accessibility for Cleaning: The computer should be designed with features that facilitate easy and effective cleaning, such as computers with limited surfaces exposed to contamination. The computer should also have a high level of water and dust protection, so that it can easily be cleaned, without having to worry about any water or particles entering into the system.
• Prevention of Contamination: It is important that the computer can be used throughout the whole manufacturing process, while preventing cross-contamination between different products.
• Ergonomics and Safety: It is also essential that the operator can safely and efficiently use the computer to perform their daily tasks while limiting any accidents.

It is essential that food and beverage manufacturers maintain a high standard of hygiene and cleaning for all their equipment, including computers. Not doing so could easily result in products being contaminated with harmful bacteria or viruses. This could then result in consumers getting severely sick, costly lawsuits, and irreversible damage to the company's profile. While most companies may be eager to follow these strict standards, they may wonder, is it possible to have a computer that is able to perform all their required computing tasks, while also maintaining a high standard of hygiene and cleaning?

The Hygienic Solution

The team at Interworld Electronics has the solution to this question. The FABS Series from APLEX technology has the ideal balance between computing functionality and meeting strict hygiene and cleaning standards.

The FABS series has a range of features that enables them to meet these strict standards for hygiene and cleanability. The SUS 304 (optional 316) stainless-steel front bezel provides non-toxic, anti-bacteria, anti-corrosion and anti-oxidation protection. The stainless-steel front bezel also makes it easier to clean and provides resistance to chemical substances that may be used for cleaning. The front panel is IP66/69K water and dust protected, which means it can easily be cleaned with high pressure and high temperature water. This protection also means that any liquid or contaminants from the surrounding environment will not be able to enter into the front of the system and can easily be cleaned off.

The FABS series is also designed with a chamfered edge and a seamless front panel, which makes cleaning contaminants off the edges of the panel easier and reduces the surface area where contaminants can get caught. The touch screen functionality also helps to prevent cross-contamination, by limiting the number of devices/surfaces that are touched during manufacturing. The FABS series can also be Panel and VESA mounted so that the device can be mounted in an ergonomic position for the operator. 

Furthermore, the projected capacitive touch screen model of the FABS series is EN 1672-2 certified, a European standard that sets out essential hygiene requirements that food processing equipment must meet to minimise the risk of contamination and ensure the safety of food products throughout the production process.

The Overall Solution

Not only does the FABS series elevate food and beverage safety standards, they also have a range of other features. The whole series offers the option of projected capacitive (highly durable anti-scratch surface) or resistive (usable with gloves) touch, as well as optional 1000nits high brightness displays, making them ideal for a range of applications, including in high sunlight areas. The whole FABS series has a wide power input range of DC 9~36V, and a wide operating temperature of 0~50˚C (optional -20~60˚C). The FABS-8 series & FABS-9A series support Windows 10 IoT, and the FABS-9B supports both Windows 10 IoT and Windows 11. The whole series is built with a rugged, fanless design, and features a wide range of optional I/O and communication/network features.

The FABS-8 series comes in a range of sizes from 7”~21.5”, and features an Intel Celeron N2930 processor with 4GB DDR3L SDRAM onboard. The FABS-9A series comes in a range of sizes from 12.1”~21.5”, and features a 6th Gen. Intel Core i3/i5 processor with DDR4 SO-DIMM Socket. The FABS-9B series comes in a range of sizes from 15”~21.5”, and features an 8th Gen Intel Core i3/i5 processor with up to 32GB DDR4 RAM.

The wide range of features that the FABS series offers, both for hygiene and cleaning and for computing functionality, makes them the ideal mix for a wide range of Food and Beverage manufacturing applications. Visit the FABS Series page to learn more and to get a free consultation.