Stainless steel food factory equipment should be designed to make cleaning and inspection straightforward. For production furniture, wash stations, conveyors and handling equipment, that means considering access to every relevant surface, including the frames, undersides and surrounding floor.
Cleaning can be delayed by equipment that is difficult to reach, move, dismantle or drain. Addressing these issues during specification can help hygiene teams complete their work more efficiently within the available cleaning window.
Hygienic Design Goes Beyond the Material
Stainless steel is widely used in food manufacturing for its durability and corrosion resistance. However, the material alone does not determine how easily equipment can be cleaned.
Welds, joints, fixings, hollow sections and contact points between components all need attention. Rough finishes, unnecessary crevices and inaccessible gaps can make residues harder to remove and surfaces more difficult to inspect.
The cleaning method matters too. Equipment should suit the products being handled, the cleaning chemicals and the temperatures and conditions it will encounter.
“When we look at equipment for a food factory, cleanability has to be considered alongside its main function. We need to think about how the hygiene team will access it, what happens underneath and around it, and how it will actually be cleaned during day-to-day production.”
Karl Hewines, General Manager, Gilwood
Production Furniture: Check Beneath the Worktop
When selecting stainless steel tables and workstations, it is easy to concentrate on worktop dimensions and storage capacity. Hygiene teams also need access to frames, undershelves, legs, feet and the floor beneath.
A table may fit neatly into the available space but leave a narrow gap against a wall that is difficult to clean. An undershelf may provide useful storage while restricting access to the floor.
Before approving the design, consider whether the unit needs to move for cleaning or whether sufficient clearance can be provided around a fixed installation. Where mobile furniture is appropriate, castors and brakes also need to be accessible for cleaning and inspection.
The practical question is: can the complete workstation and its surrounding area be cleaned using the site’s normal methods?
Sink and Washroom Equipment: Plan Where Water Goes
Sinks, wash troughs and wash stations operate in wet areas, making drainage and access particularly important.
Look at where water could collect on or around the equipment. Check the surfaces beneath bowls, around mounting points and behind splashbacks, as well as connections to surrounding walls and floors.
Wall-mounted equipment can improve floor access, provided the mounting arrangement and pipework remain accessible. Floor-standing units need adequate clearance around feet and supports.
Positioning also matters. A small gap between a sink and an adjacent unit may be too narrow to clean effectively, even when both items are individually easy to wash.
Review the whole wash area before installation, including drainage, pipework, dispensers and waste bins.
Changing Room Equipment and Boot Washers
Lockers, benches, boot racks and garment storage all need to fit within the cleaning routine for the changing area.
Check beneath benches and around locker bases, where footwear debris and other material can accumulate. Avoid overcrowding storage areas to the point where cleaning requires staff to move large quantities of loose items each time.
Boot washers need particular attention because their function brings them into contact with contamination from footwear. Brushes, collection areas, drains and surrounding surfaces need suitable access for the specified cleaning and maintenance procedures.
A useful specification check is to ask how the equipment will be cleaned at the end of a busy shift, when it is most likely to contain debris.
Conveyor Systems: Include Frames and Transfer Points
A conveyor’s product-contact surface is only part of the cleaning task. Belts, rollers, supports, guards, transfer points and the floor underneath may all require attention.
Discuss cleaning access alongside throughput, belt selection and line speed. Depending on the application, consider how belts are released or lifted, which components require removal and whether specialist tools are needed.
Transfer points deserve close inspection because spilled product can collect beneath or between adjoining machines. Guards and drip trays should also be assessed for access and drainage.
Any access arrangements must work with the equipment’s isolation and safe cleaning procedures. A design that is easy to open still needs to be safe to clean.
Mechanical Handling Equipment: Allow Room for Cleaning
Lifts, tippers and tote bin systems can improve the movement of ingredients and products, but their installation should also allow hygiene teams to reach the surrounding area.
Check beneath bases, around floor fixings and behind supports. Consider where spilled product could land during loading, lifting or discharge, and whether those areas remain visible and accessible.
Where movable components provide cleaning access, the design should include a safe way to position and secure them.
These details are easier to resolve before manufacture than after equipment has been installed between existing production lines.
Steps, Platforms and Gantries: Consider Surfaces Above Production
Access equipment can make elevated machinery easier to inspect and clean. It also introduces additional surfaces that need their own cleaning arrangements.
Steps, platform decks, supports and undersides should be assessed alongside the equipment they serve. Consider whether water or debris could fall onto production equipment below and how cleaning will be managed.
The layout should provide safe access without creating awkward spaces around tanks, pipework or adjacent machinery.
Trolleys, Racks and Trays Need a Cleaning and Storage Plan
Bogies, dollies, racks, trolleys and trays may move frequently between work areas. Their cleaning requirements should be considered as carefully as those of fixed equipment.
Inspect joints, handles, wheels, tray supports and undersides. Check whether loaded equipment can be emptied easily for cleaning and whether its dimensions suit the available washing facilities.
Provide a designated location for cleaned equipment, with separation from items awaiting washing according to the site’s procedures. Otherwise, clean items may be placed in unsuitable areas or returned to use without a clear indication of their status.
A Practical Example: Removing an Awkward Cleaning Gap
Consider a preparation area with a worktable beside a conveyor and an ingredient trolley stored between them.
Each item is stainless steel, but the narrow gaps prevent easy access to the floor. Product collects near the conveyor supports, while the trolley has to be moved several times during cleaning because it has no designated parking position.
A layout review could identify a better arrangement: repositioning the table to provide access, adjusting its dimensions where necessary and allocating a clear storage space for the trolley.
The improvement comes from making the area accessible. Changing the material or increasing cleaning frequency would not resolve the restricted access.
Review Cleaning Access Before Approving the Design
Involve hygiene, production and maintenance teams while equipment layouts are still being developed. Walk through the proposed cleaning process and ask:
- Which surfaces need cleaning and inspection?
- What needs to be moved, opened or removed?
- Can staff reach beneath and behind the equipment safely?
- Where will water and debris collect or drain?
- Is there enough room for cleaning tools and dismantled components?
Resolving these questions at the design stage can reduce the need for awkward workarounds once production begins.
Discuss Your Equipment Requirements
Explore hygienic equipment, or speak to the team about stainless steel equipment designed around your factory’s cleaning and access requirements.
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