EN 12463:2021

Food processing machinery - Filling machines and interchangeable equipment - Safety and hygiene requirements EN 12463:2021

Publication date:   Apr 15, 2021

Scope

1.1 General
This document applies to:
- filling machines with cylinder and piston;
- filling machines with feed intake hopper;
- filling machines with vacuum hopper;
hereafter referred to as filling machines which process e.g. meat, cheese and other pasty substances, excluding dry or frozen materials. They pump foodstuff into casings or bring it to a following process.
This document applies also to the interchangeable equipment for filling machines with which a wide range of additional functions can be implemented. For example: portioning, depositing, mincing, co-extruding, dividing and forming.
This document deals with all significant hazards, hazardous situations and events relevant to filling machines and interchangeable equipment (hereafter referred to as machines), when they are used as intended and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer and also the reasonable foreseeable misuse (see Clause 4).
These significant hazards, hazardous situations and events can arise during all the life phases including transportation, assembly, dismantling, disabling and scrapping of the machines.
This document is not applicable to machines which were manufactured before the date of publication of this document by CEN.
Filling machines described in this document are no forming, filling and sealing machines as described in EN 415-3:1999+A1:2009. Clipping machines as described in EN 13885:2005+A1:2010 are not covered by this document.
1.2 Types of filling machines and interchangeable equipment covered by this standard
1.2.1 Filling machines with cylinder and piston
Filling machines with cylinder and piston consist of piston, closing cover, machine frame, accessory drive mechanism and electrical and hydraulic components (see Figure 1).
The material being processed will be fed by hand into the cylinder.
Filling machines with cylinder and piston can be fitted with a dividing device.
1.2.2 Filling machines with feed intake hopper
Filling machines with feed intake hopper (with or without infeed auger, see Figure 2) consist of feeder on the discharge side of the feed intake hopper, machine frame, drive mechanism for interchangeable equipment and electric, electronic or pneumatic components, depending on machine type.
The material being processed will be fed by hand (or optionally a loading device) into the feeding hopper of the filling machine.
Filling machines with feed intake hopper can be equipped with:
- dividing device;
- cover or photoelectric guard at the mouth of the feed intake hopper;
- pressure-sensitive protective device at the hopper edge;
- divided hopper;
- infeed auger;
- counter auger;
- step or ladder;
- two-hand control device at the mouth of the feed intake hopper;
- knee-operated lever switches or hand operated switches.
(...)
1.2.3 Filling machines with vacuum hopper
Filling machines with vacuum hopper (with or without infeed auger, see Figure 3) consist of suction pipe with storage container, feeder, vacuum hopper with locking device on the intake side, machine frame, drives for interchangeable equipment and electrical, electronic or pneumatic components, depending on the machinery category.
Filling machines with vacuum hoppers can be loaded by one or more of the following:
- manual loading;
- vacuum suction;
- feeder.
Filling machines with vacuum hoppers are to be switched on and off by lever switches operated by knee or hand and/or by remote control signals.
Filling machines with vacuum hoppers can be equipped with:
- dividing device;
- cover on vacuum hopper;
- infeed auger;
- counter auger;
- foot board or ladder;
- suction pipe and storage container.
(...)
1.2.4 Interchangeable equipment for filling machines
Interchangeable equipment are devices which can be assembled to filling machinery by the operator in order to attribute one or more new functions such as: portioning, twisting, voiding, forming, mincing. (....)

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