FDA-Compliant Insert Bearings, Guide Rollers, Linear Actuators & Worm Gears for the Beverage Industry

Beverage packaging lines have to run very fast while handling bottles, cans and multipacks filled with liquids that can foam, spill or leave residue. They also face strict hygiene and cleaning requirements in breweries, soft drink plants and dairies. Because of this, many machines use dry-running, maintenance-free motion components that handle speed, moisture and cleaners without constant service.

In beverage plants, grease near open product and sticky drinks can turn into dirt traps and contamination risks. Self-lubricating plastic bearings, linear guides and rollers avoid this because they run dry and do not need extra oil or grease. Motion plastics from igus, such as xiros® plastic ball bearings and conveyor rollers, help keep bottling and canning equipment cleaner and easier to maintain.

Common parts include bearings, linear slides, conveyor rollers, slewing ring bearings, gears and cable carriers. These are used on fillers, cappers, labellers and case packers to guide and support bottles and cans. Many OEMs combine stainless steel with dry-running iglide® bearings, iglide PRT® slewing rings and xiros® rollers to get long service life with less lubrication.

Spilled soft drinks, juices and syrups leave sticky films on guides and rollers that can collect dust and slow the line. Greased metal parts tend to hold onto this residue and wear faster. Low-friction plastic conveyor rollers and polymer bearings shed buildup more easily and keep beverage conveyors running smoothly.

Washdown zones around fillers and labelers see regular foam cleaning, hot water and strong detergents. Components here must be corrosion resistant, easy to rinse and stable in contact with cleaning chemicals. Many plants use stainless steel hardware together with dry-running, food-compliant plastic bearings and rollers that tolerate these conditions without rust or grease washout.

High-speed conveyors need lightweight, low-inertia rollers and smooth guides so bottles and cans move without tipping or jamming. Plastic xiros® conveyor rollers with integrated ball bearings are often used because they are quiet, low-torque and available in FDA-compliant and antistatic designs for beverage production. This helps lines reach full speed quickly with less energy.

Rotary motion is used in filling, capping, labeling and inspection stations to move bottles and cans in circles past different heads. These rotary tables need compact bearings that can handle constant motion and regular cleaning. iglide PRT® slewing ring bearings offer a lubrication-free, maintenance-free option that fits well in these beverage rotary systems.

Beverage lines often switch between different bottle sizes, can formats and pack styles, so height and width settings must change quickly. Guides, star wheels and rails are usually mounted on simple adjustment mechanisms that can be moved and locked with clear reference points. Using modular linear stages and standard change parts helps breweries and bottling plants shorten changeover time.

Materials close to the beverage, such as rollers, bearings and wear strips over open containers, are often specified to meet FDA and EU 10/2011 food-contact rules. Many conveyor rollers and plastic components are now available in food-compliant materials with documented EU and FDA approval, which makes it easier for beverage packaging lines to pass audits.

New bottle and can designs usually require custom stars, neck guides, funnels and format parts. These can be made from wear-resistant, food-compliant plastics using CNC machining or industrial 3D printing from CAD files. Motion-plastics suppliers like igus support beverage plants with on-demand manufacturing and semi-finished bar and plate stock, so new change parts can be produced quickly for new SKUs.