A leading New Zealand dairy plant had a major challenge with hygiene in their blending filler room before BFM fittings. A vibratory discharging cone was connected to the hopper via a traditional connecting sock and steel clamps. There was excessive dust leakage and product build-up in the joins – a major hygiene issue.

Since installing the BFM fitting system, the room is clean and there has been a significant reduction in both downtime and replacement flexible connector costs.

Before BFM fittings

The regular gas purging of the system forced powder through small gaps in the old-style sock and steel clamp connector. This caused an unhygienic environment and hours of down-time for regular cleaning.

There was also a major contamination point created by significant product build-up between the externally fitted sock and hopper.

The steel strapping clamps were very time consuming to remove and re-fit during sock cleaning and replacement.

Implementing BFM fittings

The installation of a BFM fitting for both the upper and the lower connections has created a completely sealed system, and the filling room is now a dust-free environment. The pressure from the gas purging no longer causes product leakage, and because the fitting sits inside the spigot, there is no product build-up at the connector joints.

Now, when the fittings do need replacing, it’s a quick and easy snap-fit process.

The filling room operators are ecstatic about how their work environment is now dust-free and a “pleasure to work in”. They no longer spend hours cleaning powder off the surfaces in the filling room or have to regularly remove the messy wire-clamps and socks from the machinery to remove the product build-up between the connectors.

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