Premium performance plastics

Throughout E-Plas’ 40+ year history, it has worked with many industries and their unique demands.

For managing director Lisa Morgan Marshall, the fact the company supplies nuclear medicine to mining, ship building and food manufacturing is testimony to its decades long experience.

“We have seen E-Plas materials successfully find their place in many diverse applications within the food and beverage industry nationwide,” Marshall says.

E-Plas has a range of specialised plastics variously suited for use in hot to very high heat and cold to freezing, wet and dry preparation, and production processes and environments.

“Whether your goal is to improve productivity or health and safety enhancements, we have a range of FDA compliant products perfect for food and beverage manufacture. From direct food contact and processing applications to materials benefitting operator safety.

“Applications range from high-speed conveyor parts and machine guarding to cutting and preparation surfaces, filters, rollers, mallets, mixing-blades and pipes to name a few,” Marshall explains.

The company also has long-standing partnerships with global manufacturers including Mitsubishi Chemicals Advanced Materials (MCAM). MCAM’s TIVAR range contains specialty FDA compliant UHMWPE products with specific benefits.

TIVAR HPV

TIVAR high performance velocity (HPV), is FDA approved and predominately used in conveyor applications where companies are looking to achieve dry running chain reducing the amount of water used to lubricate contact points between the conveyor chain and track/bed.

TIVAR MD

The TIVAR metal detectable (MD) grade of TIVAR UHMWPE is also FDA approved and can be used wherever low coefficient of friction is required prior to passing through metal detectors.

“One example of its use is for name plates for batch numbers, placed onto batches of meat prior to food processing to identify them then removed before processing/mixing.

“Metal detectable plastics are used for chopping blades or mixing blades for food processing, cutting etc. as they can pass through metal detector prior to packaging and identify any unwanted inclusions. Any shards that may have broken off the labels during handling are then easily found and removed through metal detection before packaging,” Marshall says.

TIVAR HOT

TIVAR HOT as its name suggests, is used wherever low coefficient of friction is required with a high operating temperature such as entry or exit points of ovens for baked goods

Another polyethylene product with FDA approval by MCAM is PE 500, can be made into change parts such as star wheels and scrolls for food conveyors.

From global manufacturer Rochling Sustaplast, E-Plas supplies Sustarin C Acetal, which machines to a very precise finish, is FDA approved for direct contact with food, and available in natural or black.

HDPE in natural and black is FDA approved and is well known for its use for commercial cutting boards, worktops, knife holders, and rollers.

“We also supply PTFE, more commonly known by the Teflon brand name,” Marshall says.

Polycarbonate, widely known for its use in machine guarding and safety screening provides clarity combined with extreme break strength and durability.

“Polycarbonate is a safety champion. It offers the visibility of glass or acrylic with titanic impact resistance. It is the unsurpassed tough guy of all protective barrier materials,” Marshall adds.

Fabrication

E-Plas Manufacturing provides fabrication services: CNC, Standard Machining and Cut to Size.

“E-Plas is geared towards fulfilling our client’s expectations. Supported by some of the world’s leading manufacturers, with a world class supply chain, we can provide you with technical and product support and are always happy to investigate specialty materials and special orders can be arranged,” says Marshall.

E-Plas is also ISO 9001 accredited. 

This article first appeared in the June/July 2023 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.