NSF 3A Standards for Meat & Poultry in the Food Industry

Forpak has been designing and building innovative solutions for food packaging and processing for more than 30 years. Our commitment to providing state-of-the-art systems to customers across the globe means we continue to uphold our own values and meet strict industry standards that the FDA, USDA, and ANSI set for the food industry. Because hygiene and sanitation are critical to protecting the health and safety of food consumers throughout the world, each facet of the industry must follow and uphold rigorous standards and laws. Our current food growing, processing, storing, and distributing systems are capable of supplying foods from many different countries to communities year-round, thanks to massive changes in industrial regulations over the last 100 years. Forpak equipment is well-suited to supporting the current food system, and it can easily be integrated into existing production lines.

 

Our equipment improves the efficiency of many different downstream production lines, adding seamless operations for laning, sorting, stacking, conveyors, transfers, reject systems, and more. We also work with clients to build custom systems that can meet specialized facility needs. For the meat and poultry industries in particular, our equipment meets NSF 3A sanitation standards.

 

The NSF 3A standards were put in place to regulate the sanitary qualities of processing equipment. Hygiene is important for all aspects of the food industry, but for meat and poultry production it is especially critical because of the many foodborne illnesses that can be carried in beef, chicken, turkey, pork, and others.

 

The 101 on NSF 3A food industry standards.

 

3A standards often pair with different FDA and ANSI compliances, but they more specifically regulate the equipment itself and the materials used in its making. Surface treatments, coatings, construction, and longevity of equipment are all called into question when gaining 3A certifications. 3A standards do not cover operator safety, handheld tools, and other aspects of a meat and poultry packing facility.

 

All Forpak equipment meets NSF 3A standards.

 

Forpak equipment is able to meet every 3A standard because of its full washdown capabilities, use of food-grade stainless steel and durable plastics, NEMA 4X enclosures, and anti-harborage designs. To help eliminate production downtime, our equipment can be quickly and thoroughly sanitized with high-powered washing tools. Our enclosed Allen Bradley controls also eliminate the need for direct human interaction with our automated equipment. Forpak designs are long-lasting systems that have a low risk of cracking, breaking, chipping, or dissolving even over years of heavy use. If you are looking for the best-quality automated solutions to add to your production line, you won’t find better than Forpak equipment.

 

The NSF 3A standards for meat and poultry are meant to protect a safe food industry system that can handle large-scale production and a global supply. We continue to meet those strict standards in addition to other international standards for every aspect of the packaging and assembly industry.

 

To learn more about our equipment, contact Forpak at (612) 419-1948 or forpaksupport@multisourcemfg.com. Request more information online or request a quote to get started with us today.

The History of Lathes and Manufacturing Precision Machined Parts Today

Lathes are important tools that are used across industries, from metalworking to carpentry. Even the simple pottery wheel, which has been used for centuries to make pots for household and commercial use, is technically a lathe. Today, lathes are used for many purposes, but they still operate the same way they have since their first invention. At MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, we utilize multiple lathes to build complex parts with exact dimensions. Our network of facilities hosts CNC live-tooling lathes with 3, 4, and 5 axis movement. We also have Y-axis and true twin spindle lathes on our production floors. With such a versatile range of movement available to our lathe technicians, in addition to other CNC machining centers and state-of-the-art tools, MultiSource can supply OEMs and other customers with the precision machined parts they need. We design and build parts for several industries, including the medical device, semiconductor, aerospace, defense, and food industries.

Our modern equipment can create the precision machined parts our customers require.

Because we work with customers in multiple industries requiring a tight degree of accuracy in part design and results, we rely on the quality of our modern machinery to build parts with the greatest precision possible. Thanks to our expert team of engineers, technicians, and other employees, our comprehensive equipment floors, and our network of fully outfitted facilities, MultiSource is an industry leader in precision machined parts and assemblies.

Lathes have been beneficial tools for many centuries.

Our lathes are as advanced as it gets, but the use of lathes dates back much further than our establishment in 1998. Lathes are as old as many other simple tools, going as far back as Ancient Egypt. The first evidence of the use of lathes dates back to around 1300 BCE in Egypt. Some discoveries show lathes may have even been used in Greece in the 14th and 13th centuries BCE.

Industrialized Lathes

Industrialized lathes were a significant tool during the first Industrial Revolution, often titled the “mother of machine tools.” In 1751, the first complete documentation of an all-metal slide-rest lathe was written. The tool was invented by Jacques de Vaucanson, a French inventor who also designed the first automatic loom.

Lathes

Throughout the first Industrial Revolution, lathes were powered by horses, steam, water, and other forces greater than the hand, but the first electrically motorized lathes weren’t developed until the late 1800s or early 1900s. By the 1950s, servomechanisms were beginning to control industrial lathe systems with numerical control.

Modern computing power increases the use and versatility of lathes.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the rise of computers allowed for the greater development of CNC lathes. (Read more about the history of CNC machining in general here.) In modern industry, both hand-controlled and CNC lathes are commonplace in many workshops, from artisan studios to major factories.

Our lathes are a critical part of our operation as a contract manufacturer. We produce a large range of precision machined parts, with our lathes taking part in many stages of the fabrication process.

Precision Machined Parts

To learn more about our operations and production capabilities, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC today at (952) 456-5500. If you prefer, you can also request more information or request a quote online to get started with us.