Food-safe lubrication for bakery equipment
The baking process is one that cannot be interrupted. Since production stops can be very costly (up to 10K per hour) smooth machinery operation is crucial.
The environment within bakeries poses unique challenges to maintenance in general, and lubrication in particular. The combination of flour dust, fluctuating temperatures, and high humidity creates an environment that wreaks havoc on lubricated components and complicates the lubrication process.
Compounding these challenges are the stringent food safety regulations (HACCP). To adhere to these standards, maintenance teams often resort to a strategy of minimal lubrication or even no lubrication at all, accepting the higher replacement costs as a necessary evil to safeguard food safety.
The challenge lies in finding a lubricant that can effectively protect your machinery from wear and tear while also adhering to strict food safety regulations. Interflon offers a range of products that are up to these challenges.
Interflon's food-grade lubricants and cleaners are NSF H1 registered and PFAS-free, using MicPol® technology to stay in place through heat, humidity and washdowns. Interflon is the first lubricant supplier worldwide to hold NSF 537 PFAS-free certification across a complete H1 and 3H range.
Some applications in Bakeries
Chains in the kneading and dough proofer area
All the chains lubricated with conventional 'wet' lubricants in the kneading and dough proofer areas suffer from flour sticking to them. It not only creates a dirty appearance (not very desirable in a food processing plant), but the chains also suffer premature wear and tear (elongation) due to the abrasiveness of the build-up. Many of them are hidden behind protective caps to avoid flour sticking too much to the chains. They have to be dissambled in order to clean and lubricate; very time consuming, leading to more down-time.
Interflon Food Lube leaves a dry MicPol® film preventing the flour from sticking to the lubricant, making cleaning easier and faster and allowing lubrication intervals of 4 to even 6 months on most of the chains. Since there is no abrasive build-up, chains don’t stretch that quickly, extending their service life, bringing down the number of interventions (less down-time). And they look clean, satisfying auditors and more in accordance with what you expect in a food processing area.
Chains in the proofer chamber
Due to the high humidity level in these chambers, the chains corrode rapidly when applying conventional lubricants. The way to avoid this, is lubricating them frequently, but this increases the risk of dripping and generates a build-up. It’s either this or accept chains have to be replaced frequently, resulting in high maintenance costs and down-time.
With Interflon Food Lube G these issues are solved since the lubrication film MicPol® offers, repels moisture and protects again corrosion, extending their service-life and lubrication intervals (up to 4x), at the same time avoiding dripping since it’s a dry film. No build-up, clean aspect. Most of the bakeries have automatic lubrication systems, but for those who haven’t, Interflon Food Lube G also comes in aerosol.
Spiral and tunnel freezers
Lubricating the chains, bearings and gearboxes at temperatures of -35°C is tough. When chains are lubricated automatically, you mostly see dirty chains due to the ‘wet’ conventional lubricant used. In order to clean and lubricate them and grease the bearings, the line is down for some hours which is very expensive and most food grade NSF-H1 gear oils freeze solid after being exposed to lower temperatures, making the restart very difficult.
Interflon Food Lube LT (-40°C) is a food grade (NSF-H1) oil with MicPol® technology that will not only allow you to extend lubrication intervals up to 5x, but also extends the service life up to 3x. It resists extreme low temperatures (-40°C) and does not freeze solid when freezing up after shut-down. It leaves a clean dry film lubrication bringing down the need to clean the chain often. Interflon Food Lube LT can be applied manually and through an automatic lubrication system.
Interflon Food Grease LT2 (-45°C) is a food grade (NSF-H1) grease with synthetic base oil and MicPol® technology. The lubricant will not only remain fluid under extreme low temperatures, but also provides high performance and excellent wear protection under these circumstances. Due to the MicPol® particles, greasing intervals can be extended up to 4x, bringing down the need to shut down the line that often, saving a huge amount of money.
Not sure which NSF classification applies to your equipment? Read our full guide to NSF H1, H2 and 3H lubricant certification, and explore our complete range of certified food-grade lubricants.
Frequently Asked Questions
A lubricant that prevents flour build-up on kneading and dough proofer chains should leave a dry lubricating film rather than a wet, sticky residue. Interflon Food Lube uses MicPol® technology to create a dry film that helps prevent flour from adhering to the chain.
Unlike conventional wet lubricants, which can attract flour and form an abrasive paste, the dry lubricating film helps keep chains cleaner, reduce wear and minimise the need for disassembly and cleaning. In bakery applications, lubrication intervals can be extended to 4–6 months.
A food-grade grease for high-temperature bakery applications must resist heat, humidity and airborne flour dust without quickly drying out or carbonising. Interflon Grease HTG is an NSF H2 registered high-temperature and high-pressure grease designed for oven-adjacent components such as rack wheel bearings.
Its MicPol® technology helps the lubricant penetrate and protect bearing surfaces, while the grease also resists water and washdown. This helps reduce grease degradation, protect components under demanding bakery conditions and extend component service life.
Food-grade lubricants can operate at -40°C in spiral freezers when they are specifically formulated for extreme low temperatures. Interflon Food Lube LT remains suitable for use down to -40°C, while Interflon Food Grease LT2 is suitable down to -45°C.
Their synthetic base oils and MicPol® technology help the lubricants remain fluid and protective at temperatures where many conventional NSF H1 lubricants become too thick or solidify. This supports easier restarts after shutdowns and helps extend lubrication intervals and component service life.
