Spray Balls
Static and rotating spray balls wash the inside of tanks with cleaning liquid.
View product →Parts Catalog
Food Parts Catalog
Open a product page for sizes and grades, or send a drawing for a part not listed.
Roller Conveyors
Rollers, axles, and short frame sections are built to your width and pitch.
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Material Decision
Choosing the Grade by Cleaning Duty
Match the grade to the cleaner, the salt, and the rinse routine the part will see.
Standard grade
304 Stainless
Grade 304 suits frames, brackets, and conveyor parts where cleaners are mild and chloride exposure is low. Because 304 costs less than 316L, it is the right pick when salt and chlorine sanitizers are not in the wash routine.
Conveyor parts · packaging machinery
Washdown grade
316L
Molybdenum gives 316L better pitting and crevice resistance than 304. That makes it the safer pick where chlorine-based sanitizers, brine, or hot caustic and acid cleaners reach the part. Choose 316L when the part is welded after machining.
Brine and seafood · CIP pipework
High-strength grade
17-4PH
Heat treatment hardens 17-4PH, so a small part carries far more load than in 304 or 316L. Because its pitting resistance is lower than 316L, use it for drive parts in dry or enclosed areas.
Drive shafts · high-load linkages
| Grade | Minimum yield strength | Pitting resistance (PREN, typical) | Typical food-line use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | 205 MPa | 18 to 20 | Frames and conveyor parts, dry or mild duty |
| 316L | 170 MPa | 24 to 26 | Washdown, brine, and chlorine-based cleaners |
| 17-4PH (H900) | 1170 MPa | Lower than 316L | Drive and linkage parts in dry or enclosed areas |
Values are typical for annealed 304 and 316L plate and for 17-4PH in the H900 condition, given for comparison. The final grade depends on your drawing and cleaning duty.
Design Notes
Where Contamination and Corrosion Start
Most cleaning problems begin at a thread, a gap, or a rough edge, not in the bar.
Gaps
Crevices and Threads
Residue and wash water collect in tight gaps, under washers, and in exposed threads. Pitting starts in the same gaps, so fewer joints and capped or sealed threads give the cleaner less to reach.
Threads · washers · clamped joints
Surfaces
Edges and Surfaces
Sharp internal corners and burrs hold soil that a wash cycle can miss. Radii and broken edges remove those traps, so we machine them as the drawing specifies. The drawing should also state the finish you need.
Corners · edges · fillets
Cleaning
Chlorides and Cleaners
Chlorine-based sanitizers, brine, and hot caustic or acid cleaners attack 304 sooner than 316L, especially when they dry on the surface. A thorough rinse after each cycle lowers that risk, even on 316L.
Sanitizers · brine · rinse step
Quick Pick
Choose Parts by Position on the Line
Start with how close the part sits to open product, then check the cleaning routine.
| Position on the line | Typical parts | First check |
|---|---|---|
| Near open product | PTFE-lined rod ends and bushings, spray balls, clamps | Run dry, with no grease near the product |
| Washdown zone | Spacers, ball transfer units, roller conveyors, threaded rod | Grade against the cleaner, and no exposed threads |
| Enclosed drive housing | Gears, sprockets, pulleys, greasable joints | Dry or sealed area, so 17-4PH is an option |
Food Sectors
Where the Parts Work
Each line puts different parts near the product. Find yours, then open the product page.
01
Packaging and Filling Machinery
Nozzle lift linkages and dosing pistons on filling machines cycle thousands of times per shift between CIP runs. Rod ends, clevis fittings, and spacers sit at those joints. Ball transfer units carry the packages on the conveyor.
02
Meat, Poultry, and Egg Processing
An egg baling machine moves its baling arm, clamping cylinders, and metering gates through daily washdown. Rod ends, ball joints, spacers, and bushings go at those pivots. The same parts serve meat and vegetable washing lines.
03
Beverage, Dairy, and Liquid Lines
Spray balls clean the inside of tanks, while clamps and flanges hold the pipe and hose joints together. Tube fittings join the lines to tanks and pumps. Custom parts are machined to your drawing.
04
Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Lines
Supplement and pharmaceutical production lines use the same filling, conveying, and piping parts as food lines. Give the grade and the finish your line requires when you send the drawing.
Manufacturing Route
Built Around the Drawing
Three routes cover most food-line parts. Each links to its product page.
01 / CNC MACHINING
Housings and Brackets
We mill housings, brackets, and multi-face parts to your drawing. 5-axis machining is available on request when a part needs it.
View CNC Parts →
02 / CNC TURNING
Round and Threaded Parts
Spacers, bushings, pins, shafts, and fittings are turned from your drawing or sample.
View CNC Turning Parts →
03 / FORMING
Brackets and Plates
We stamp and bend brackets and plates from your drawing.
View Sheet Metal Parts →How It Works
From Drawing to Delivery
Four steps take an order from drawing to shipment.
01
Send the Drawing
Send a drawing or a physical sample with the details in the checklist below.
02
Get a Quote
Engineering reviews the grade, geometry, and cleaning duty, then issues the quotation.
03
Approve the Sample
Sample parts are made for your approval before production starts.
04
Production and Shipping
Production follows the approved sample. Finished parts then ship by sea, air, or express courier.
Advantages
Why Food Equipment Teams Choose Profab
Food machine builders buy small, repeat, drawing-based parts. These are the ways we make that easier.
Why Profab / 01
One factory, from your drawing to the finished part.
A filling or packaging machine uses dozens of small stainless parts, and each one needs a drawing, a grade, and a lead time. Profab makes them in one place, so a change to a drawing goes to the people cutting the metal.
- Direct from the manufacturerWe turn and mill your parts on our own CNC machines in Fenghua, Ningbo, so you deal directly with the factory.
- Twenty years in stainless steelProfab was founded in 2005 and has worked in stainless steel ever since, from rod ends and spacers to custom machined brackets.
- ISO 9001 quality systemOur quality management system is ISO 9001 certified.
- Drawing, sample, or worn partSend a CAD file, a physical sample, or a worn part from the machine, and we quote from whichever you have.
Why Profab / 02
Parts that suit a washdown line, quoted as one order.
A joint on a washdown line is cleaned every shift and cannot take grease near the product. We choose the grade and the joint type with that routine in mind.
- Dry-running jointsRod ends and bushings are available with PTFE liners that run without grease, so the joint needs none near the product.
- One quote for the whole machineRod ends, clevis fittings, spacers, bushings, threaded rod, and brackets for one machine are quoted together.
- The same part in 304 or 316LQuote one drawing in both grades and compare the price against your cleaning routine before you commit.
- Small runs and repeat ordersSmall-batch runs and repeat orders are quoted to your drawing, with no hard minimum.
01 / 02
Inquiry Checklist
What to Send With Your Inquiry
Accepted formats are DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, and dimensioned PDF drawings, or a physical sample.
Send These Details
Send a drawing, a photo of the worn part, or a physical sample with the details below.
- Position on the line: near product, washdown zone, or enclosed housing
- Cleaning routine: cleaner, temperature, and rinse step
- Material grade, or the grades you would accept
- Thread, bore, and mating parts
- Surface finish and edge needs
- Quantity and target machine
What Happens Next
We check grade, geometry, and finish against your cleaning duty, then quote.
Procurement FAQ
Food Buyer FAQ
These short answers cover the first engineering and purchasing questions.
Do chlorine-based cleaners require 316L?
Chlorine sanitizers, brine, and hot caustic or acid cleaners can pit 304, so 316L is the safer choice there. Even 316L can pit if sanitizer dries on it, which is why the rinse after each cycle matters. In the inquiry, state the cleaner, the temperature, and the rinse step, because they decide whether 316L is enough.
Can you make parts without crevices or exposed threads?
We machine radii, edge breaks, and thread details as the drawing specifies. A crevice-free joint also depends on the mating parts and the seals. For that reason, treat our edge and thread work as design advice, not as a guarantee of a crevice-free joint.
Can the same part be made in 304 and 316L?
Yes, the same drawing can be quoted in both grades, so you can compare the price of each. Other stainless grades are available on request.
What quantity can I order?
Quantities vary by product, but small-batch custom runs are accepted with no hard minimum. Prototype runs typically start around 100 pieces.
Do you offer welding, electropolishing, or passivation?
Yes, we offer TIG/MIG welding, electropolishing, and passivation as services for parts that need them. Other finishes are available on request.
Can you provide material certificates?
Material certificates are available on request. Tell us the grade and the standard your project names when you send the inquiry.