Food Pressure Sensor Manufacturers

Food Grade Pressure Sensor Manufacturers
Pressure sensors for the food and beverage industry are a special category that has unique requirements. Pressure sensors for this industry are found in applications that include regulating milk tanks on the farm to applications in food processing plants that make a wide range of products from chips to fruit juices. They are found in applications that measure pressures in fermentation tanks, discharge pressures from diaphragm pumps, and sterilization equipment.

 The demand for pressure sensors for that segment could be expected to grow in proportion. Some factors that are driving demand for pressure sensors in the food and beverage industry are tightening regulations, increased automation, and the growth of the IoT.

Companies that are well-known pressure sensor manufacturers in the food and beverage industry include Wika, Ashcroft, Dwyer, and Baumer. Companies that make pressure sensors for this industry often meet the requirements of ISO 9001 and ISO 14010 standards. They must be FDA compliant, too. In addition, depending on the end product of their customers, pressure sensor manufacturers in this sector might also have to meet the Department of Agriculture certifications and meet the requirements of local health authorities.

One of the most unique characteristics that apply to pressure sensors for the food and beverage industry is that they must meet hygienic requirements. They must be accurate, reliable, and able to withstand high sterilization temperatures. They must be machined to within tight tolerances with no gaps to allow for clean-in-place (CIP) and sterilization-in-place (SIP) processes. Many are made from stainless steel and are watertight to meet these requirements. They must be highly accurate and have excellent long-term stability. They must be resistant to shock, vibration, and be resistant to calibration drift.

Pressure sensors for the food and beverage industry must often be able to measure lower pressures in the -1 to 60 bar range, but many can measure pressures up to 400 bar. Pressure sensors, transmitters, and switches for the industry most commonly measure absolute, relative, and vacuum pressures. Piezoresistive and thin-film technologies are commonly used in the industry. Pressure sensors for this industry must meet the qualifications for 3A Sanitation Approvals and any additional FDA regulations that apply to the end food or beverage product.