The processing of highly sensitive raw materials, the manufacture of chemical and pharmaceutical products as well as food and cosmetics are subject to particularly stringent requirements and strict specifications regarding transportation and storage. In the process industry for chemical engineering, process technology and biotechnology, raw materials and finished products are subject to high safety requirements throughout the entire production environment. Due to the sensitivity of the products, especially in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, compliance with hygiene regulations must be guaranteed in technical and intralogistics processes. Plastic load carriers are ideal here. Craemer presents the HB3, a closed pallet box specially developed as a hygiene box (HB) for these applications.

Hygiene box HB3 - new on the market

According to the plastics specialist, its latest development is a world first: the HB3 is the first and only completely closed pallet box on the market with welded runners. The industrial-sized hygiene box - with external dimensions of 1,200 millimetres long, 1,000 millimetres wide and 790 millimetres high - is made up of two one-piece injection-moulded elements: the box body as the upper part and the pallet with three welded runners as the lower part. Another special feature: a patented weld seam geometry for joining the two plastic elements ensures maximum impact and break resistance. The weld seam is contour-milled and therefore virtually invisible.

The HB3 with a tare weight of around 42 kilograms - without stiffening profiles - has a volume of 580 liters, can withstand a stacking load of 5,000 kilograms and is designed for a payload of 900 kilograms. High overall rigidity is achieved by welding the upper and lower sections together. The bending stiffness can be increased even further with three additional metal reinforcement profiles.

Seamless design for easy cleaning

The construction and design of the box body are aimed at maximum hygiene. The fully enclosed pallet box has optimum cleaning properties and offers no surface for bacteria to attack. The seamless construction, smooth inner walls and welded runners make it easy to empty, clean and dry. Several product features also contribute to this - such as the almost invisible, contour-milled weld seam, the clean and clear lines, the minimal ribbing and the rounded shape. The latter, combined with the excellent tipping properties, ensures easy emptying even with frozen contents. The cavity-free and rib-free design of the new hygiene box offers reliable protection against contamination or water ingress.

Sensitive contents are protected in all (intra-)logistical processes. The double-walled design of the side walls above the drive-in openings provides effective impact protection against forklift truck tines. The reduced drive-in height enables smooth movement and storage in automated high-bay warehouses. Thanks to the robust, welded runners with high dimensional stability, the hygiene pallet box - like all of the manufacturer's load carriers - runs maintenance-free and trouble-free on all commercially available conveyor technology elements, chain conveyors and roller conveyors.

High quality standard with equipment options

The HB3 is optionally available with two closed or open bung holes. The integrated one-inch or two-inch thread and a drill mark make it easier to open the drains at a later date if required. The box is equipped with a circumferential stacking step at the top and bottom edge, which makes it compatible with many other containers. A precisely fitting lid is available as an optional extra. The hygiene box can be stacked three high with or without the lid. It can be fitted with RFID transponders for seamless tracking.

The box can withstand temperatures from minus 30 to plus 40 degrees Celsius, briefly up to plus 90 degrees, runs trouble-free and maintenance-free, remains dimensionally stable even with intensive use - and is therefore durable. Printing fields offer space for individual logo embossing, lettering or numbering. Dimple fields are provided for temporary stickers.