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How to Avoid Moisture Damage in Food & Beverage Control Cabinets
In food and beverage environments, drives, PLCs, and network components rarely fail because they “wear out.” They fail because moisture sneaks in where it shouldn’t — slowly damaging electronics until the system finally shuts down.
The worst part? A dramatic incident like a wash-down blast doesn’t usually cause the failure. It’s caused by repeated exposure to condensation and humidity cycles, often happening inside “sealed” cabinets.
Understanding how moisture actually enters a cabinet, and how it destroys electronics over time, is the key to stopping these failures for good.
The Real Problem: Condensation Cycles, Not Just Water Intrusion
In sanitary processing, control cabinets are exposed to temperature swings, steam, cleaning agents, and pressure changes. Even if a cabinet is tightly sealed during wash-down, a new issue forms afterward:
Warm, moist air cools trapped inside the cabinet → it condenses into liquid droplets.
This creates a continuous cycle of micro-dampness:
- Wash-down or sanitation warms the environment
- The cabinet cools afterward
- Vapor inside condenses on drives, PLC pins, terminal strips, and network interfaces
- Moisture evaporates slightly, then cycles into the next cleaning or shift
This is why many failures look random: the drive works in the morning, fails after sanitation, recovers after dry time, and eventually fails permanently.
How Moisture Corrodes Electronics (Even if You Don’t See Liquid)
You don’t need visible water for damage. Condensation leaves behind traces of minerals, sugar, salt, and cleaning chemicals from the air. Each cycle forms microscopic residues that:
- Conduct current where they shouldn’t (shorts & ground faults)
- Attack copper traces, encoder pins, ribbon cables, and terminal blocks
- Break down conformal coatings on PCBs
- Corrode aluminum heat sinks and fan housings
- Increase leakage currents inside power electronics
Repeated mild exposure is more destructive than one large event because corrosion accelerates once ions accumulate.
Best Practices for Food & Beverage Cabinet Protection
1) Control Internal Pressure With Proper Venting or Drainage
When a cabinet heats during production and cools after sanitation, it “breathes.” Pressure changes pull humid air — and even chemical vapors — inside through gaskets and conduit entry points.
Solutions:
- Install Emerson 5A26371H29 Door Fan Assembly or similar pressure-equalization accessories
- Ensure conduit fittings are liquid-tight but not fully sealed without venting (hydrophobic vents)
- In refrigerated environments, use drain plugs or weep holes to prevent pooling
A perfect seal without pressure equalization leads to worse moisture buildup than a properly vented cabinet.
2) Use Cabinet Heaters or Heat Strips to Prevent Dew Point Formation
Moisture condenses when equipment drops below the dew point. A small heater prevents condensation by keeping electronics slightly warmer than ambient air.
Best practices:
- Install low-wattage heaters or thermostatic heaters inside enclosures
- Maintain cabinet temperature 5–10°F above ambient
- Avoid overheating that stresses drive fans or power supplies
This small investment protects thousands of dollars of electronics — including critical motion and drive equipment.
3) Avoid Over-Sealing in Aggressive Wash-Downs
IP66/IP69K enclosures block jets and spray, but sealing every conduit and joint airtight creates trapped humidity. Over-sealing only works when paired with proper venting or heating.
Smart sealing includes:
- Liquid-tight, hygienic cable glands
- IP69K rated conduit entries
- Selective venting (not fully sealed)
A sealed box + no venting = a moisture trap.
4) Maintain Proper Drainage and Cable Orientation
Liquid shouldn’t sit on fittings, glands, or wires. Moisture wicking along wires into connectors is one of the most common root-causes of failure in drives and feedback systems.
Prevention tips:
- Create a “drip-loop” in every cable entering the cabinet
- Route cables downward before entering glands or conduit
- Avoid horizontal cable entry where liquid can pool
- Ensure conduit angles so liquid drains away from the cabinet
Gravity is your most reliable moisture defense.
5) Use Corrosion-Resistant Components and Hardware
Cabinet accessories often fail first, leading to loose grounds, intermittent faults, or unexpected leakage paths. Choosing the right materials upfront helps prevent repeated failures.
Recommended materials:
- Stainless-steel enclosures, brackets & hardware
- Tin-plated copper lugs & ground bars
- Plastic-coated cable glands and sealed strain reliefs
- Moisture-tolerant drives and electronics — such as the Schneider Electric ATV31HU75N4 VFD for harsh processing conditions
Investing in corrosion-resistant equipment means fewer reactive repairs later.
Warning Signs of Moisture Damage in Progress
- A drive faults only after sanitation
- PLC or HMI resets randomly after cooling
- Condensation on cabinet windows or door gaskets
- Green or white oxidation on terminals
- Encoder or feedback errors that come and go
- Sticky or stiff fans on servo drives or VFDs
The failure often hasn’t just “started” — it’s already well underway.
Long-Term Strategy: Design Against the Environment, Not Just the Water
Food & beverage plants have unpredictable cycles of temperature, humidity, and chemical exposure. The best strategy isn’t to build a watertight box — it’s to control condensation, airflow, drainage, and pressure.
Great cabinet design balances:
- Pressure equalization
- Controlled venting
- Minimal condensation through heating
- Proper cable orientation and drainage
- Corrosion-resistant components
A moisture-proof cabinet prevents faults before they happen. For example, replacing a moisture-damaged motor with a sealed, water-resistant model like the FANUC A06B-0614-B025#0100 dramatically reduces future exposure risks.
Need Help Sourcing Replacement Drives or Controls Affected by Moisture?
Industrial Automation Co. can help evaluate whether your equipment should be repaired, replaced, or upgraded to better withstand sanitary environments. We stock thousands of controllers, VFDs, servo drives, power supplies, and HMIs backed by a 2-year warranty.