If you use molds or sticky substances to manufacture food or other goods, there’s a good chance you’ll have to stop production to clean buildup and residue from metal parts and components. Tacky food ingredients, adhesives and hot glues typically cause buildup and product hang-up issues for molds, trays, hoppers, extruders and other equipment. No matter the size of the operation, any downtime needed for cleanup can affect your bottom line.

General Magnaplate engineered coatings enhance and protect metal components from sticky substances and ensure proper mold release. The result: less downtime for cleanup. We formulate each coating with a controlled infusion of engineered polymers, creating a mechanical bond to the substrate. Each coating becomes a permanent part of the new surface, giving it properties that outperform those of the original base metal and the coating itself. For equipment in contact with sticky molds and substances, these coatings reduce cleanup and downtime and improve productivity.

Here are two recent applications in which our engineered coatings solved sticking issues:

Slide trays for popping boba balls. Ingredients for this fun snack include corn starch, corn syrup and sugar. Due to the sticky substances involved, a company that makes popping boba balls had to shut down production after just two hours to remove the massive buildup of ingredient residue from slide trays. Six months ago, we applied Lectrofluor® 605 to the tray surfaces, and the customer has not stopped production for cleaning even once. The company reports that Lectrofluor 605 works "magically," and we expect to coat trays for eight more machines in the near future.

Dog treat molds. A customer that makes dog treats uses two different recipes, resulting in all sorts of sticking troubles. A rice-based recipe required the company to shut down production every day to clean the molds and pins, while a wheat-based recipe also entailed several equipment cleanings every week. We applied Lectrofluor 605 and Plasmadize® 3129-eS, and both coatings are performing very well. The company has eliminated downtime, as well as the use of mold-release and non-stick sprays.

Keep Equipment Running Smoothly

Sticky molds and cleaning issues are only two of the typical threats that engineered coatings can address to help equipment run smoothly. You can apply coatings across a wide range of industries and applications to ensure productivity and quality of end products. For food and packaging applications, many of our coatings comply with USDA and FDA standards for product-contact uses.

If you need an engineered coating to solve buildup, mold release, sticking or other difficulties, speak to a General Magnaplate specialist who can help you select the right surface coating for your needs.

For more information, please contact us.