Baldor Develops a Washdown Workhorse for the Food-Processing Industry

When customers in the food-processing industry approached Baldor Electric Co. to develop a new line of motors tailored for their needs, Fort Smith, Ark.-based Baldor responded with the Super White washdown-duty motor.

It's no accident that the motor is white.

"This new line of motors provides customers with a painted-white motor-the workhorse of the food industry for decades-coupled with labyrinth shaft seals and same-size bearings on each end of the motor," explains David Steen, Baldor's product manager for small and medium-size AC motors.

NED: Why did Baldor decide to market this product?

DS: Customers in the food-processing industry asked Baldor to create a new line of motors that met some very specific needs for their industry.

NED: How are these motors different from similar products?

DS: Baldor produces several motor lines for the food and beverage industry.

This variety of motor products gives customers choices when determining the level of moisture protection needed for their environment.

The new line of motors provides customers with a painted-white motor-the workhorse of the food industry for decades-coupled with labyrinth shaft seals and same-size bearings on each end of the motor.

NED: What problems did you encounter during the development phase?

DS: When designing a new product line, one of the main challenges is the availability of new parts across a broad range of motor sizes.

Access to a wide variety of industry challenges over the years affords Baldor the opportunity to meet our customers' needs due to the breadth of product parts available for use.

It was anticipated going into this project that new tooling may have been required, but our engineering department did a great job of reconfiguring parts to create just the right motors needed.

NED: How long did it take from conception to final production?

DS: Conception to final production involves a great deal of sitting down at the "drawing board" and coming up with exactly what our customers need, and getting it to them in a reasonable time frame. This full product line of 1- to 20-horsepower motors was conceived and made available to our customers in approximately six months' time.

NED: Did cost factors play a role in changing the final design of this product? And, if so, in what way?

DS: Baldor's strategy is to produce the highest-quality, energy-efficient products available in the marketplace and sell them to a broad base of value-minded customers.

While cost is always on the forefront of the customer's mind, providing this new line of motors with the exact specifications requested by the customer, in a timely manner, brings them the value they desire.

NED: Who do you consider your target audience to be and what benefits will they realize from using this product?

DS: The target audience for this line of motors is the food and beverage industry in which industrial electric motor users sanitize their plants on a regular basis.

Customers using these motor products will appreciate the enhanced sealing capabilities of the labyrinth sealing, as well as the increased loading capacity of the same-size bearings on each end.

NED: Please add any other interesting sidelights that you think our readers would enjoy knowing.

DS: With the constant changes going on in the food industry and increasingly stringent standards, it is important to provide the best industrial products for the processing industry to keep these food-producing environments clean and safe.

Baldor has been a leader in the washdown-motor industry for more than 25 years and is dedicated to providing the best solutions available to provide a safe and sanitary processing environment.