Glossary

High-density polyethylene — impact-resistant, chemical-resistant, food-compliant; Rotogal's default material.

HDPE holds continuous temperatures from −40 to +80 °C, is insensitive to acids, alkalis, oils and fats and absorbs no moisture. With the right formulation it is approved for direct food contact under EU 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR and is 100 % recyclable.

Linear low-density polyethylene — more flexible than HDPE, preferred for heat-sensitive and thin-walled rotomoulded parts.

LLDPE is the first choice for rotomoulded geometries with large radii or thin walls where pure HDPE would be too stiff. It sinters precisely, stays impact-tough in the cold and is widely used for containers with soft edges and integrated sealing faces.

Concentrated colour or additive compounds added during sintering to provide colour, UV protection or antistatic behaviour.

Masterbatches are mixed with the base powder in small amounts (typ. 1–4 %) and carry pigments, UV stabilisers, flame retardants or ESD additives. For food contact we use only EU 10/2011-compliant masterbatches with documented migration clearance.

Polypropylene — the choice for hot-steam CIP and autoclaves; less cold-impact-resistant than HDPE.

PP handles continuous temperatures up to ~+100 °C and short-term +120 °C, making it standard in dairies, pharma manufacturing and any process with recurring hot-steam cleaning. Below about 0 °C PP becomes impact-sensitive — for frozen applications HDPE remains the better pick.

Reprocessed plastic from production scrap or end-of-life parts — up to 30 % possible in our non-food-contact components.

For parts without direct food contact (internal structure, runners, feet) we use up to 30 % recyclate, validated by melt-flow index and traceability. Parts with direct food or pharma contact are always made from virgin resin to rule out migration and approval risks.

Virgin plastic resin without any post-consumer or post-industrial recycled content — standard for direct food contact.

All Rotogal products with food-contact surfaces are made from virgin resin. This rules out uncontrollable contamination and secures migration compliance under EU 10/2011 and FDA 21 CFR.

Crosslinked polyethylene — thermally and chemically more robust than HDPE, for aggressive media and continuous temperatures.

XLPE is used when applications run past HDPE's limits — e.g. continuous +100 °C with aggressive media or higher internal pressures. Resistance to strong oxidants and aromatic solvents is markedly higher than HDPE, but recycling is more complex.

Metal threads, bushings or plates embedded directly into the plastic wall during moulding.

Moulded-in inserts replace later bolting or bonding and keep the container seamless and cleanable. Typical uses: lid fastening points, signature panel brackets or floor inserts for heavy-load transport.

Process in which plastic powder sinters in a rotating, heated mould to form seamless hollow parts.

A weighed powder fill is loaded into a closed mould that rotates on two axes while passing through an oven. The powder melts and lays evenly against the inner wall — producing a seamless part without edges, gaps or weld lines. Ideal for large hygienic containers, pallets and bespoke shapes.

Sequential heating, cooling and de-mould phases of a rotational moulding run — between 20 and 90 minutes.

The sintering cycle is the heating → powder melt → controlled cooling → de-moulding sequence. Cycle time and temperature profile set wall-thickness distribution, surface quality and mechanical properties. Each cycle is sensor-logged and can be released to the customer for validation on request.

Fabrication of the steel or aluminium rotomould in which the final part is formed — the key to dimensional accuracy and surface finish.

Rotogal operates its own tool shop and machines aluminium moulds in-house. This gives us control over lead time, iterations and reproducibility — and lets us offer bespoke geometries even in small series.

Material thickness of a rotomoulded part — typically 4–12 mm, drives stiffness, weight and cleanability.

Wall thickness in Rotogal containers is typically 6–10 mm, reaching up to 12 mm in heavy-duty parts (cutter wagons, large pallet boxes). Thickness is deliberately higher at critical zones (corners, standing faces). Selected parts are measured with ultrasound and the result is documented.

Microbial colonisation on surfaces, embedded in a protective polysaccharide matrix — resistant to common cleaners.

Biofilms preferentially grow in scratches, unradiused corners and gaps. They are the main driver of Listeria recurrence in meat and dairy plants. Seamless, radius-friendly Rotogal containers offer far fewer footholds than welded or wooden alternatives.

Automated cleaning of closed process components without disassembly — using alkalis, acids, hot water and rinse phases.

CIP cycles typically involve pre-rinse, alkaline clean (2 % NaOH, 70–85 °C), intermediate rinse, acid clean (1 % HNO₃, 60–70 °C), disinfection and final water rinse. Rotomoulded HDPE/PP withstands these cycles for years, provided the approved media list is respected.

European organisation that develops hygienic-design guidelines and certifications for machines, equipment and components in the food industry.

EHEDG guidelines describe how surfaces, gaps, seals and corners must be built so biofilm and food residue find no niche. Our hygienic containers follow these guidelines — radiused internal corners, no dead zones, no threaded joints in the product space.

Cleaning with sprayable foam carrying surfactants and alkaline/acidic active agents — standard in meat and fish plants.

Foam cleaning extends cleaner dwell time over plain liquid cleaning and reliably dissolves fats, proteins and blood residues. Rotogal hygienic containers withstand daily foam cleaning for years — provided surfactant concentration and dwell time stay within the validated window.

Systematic hazard analysis in food and pharma manufacturing — identifies critical control points and their monitoring.

HACCP requires transport containers and pallets to be assessed as potential cross-contamination sources. Rotogal's HDPE hygienic containers are seamless, free of edge cracks and wood — they typically pass HACCP assessment without issue.

Design principle that shapes surfaces, joints and geometries to stay cleanable and offer no microbial niches.

Hygienic design in plastic hygienic containers means: radiused internal corners (R ≥ 3 mm), no 90° butts, drainage slopes on every surface, dead-zone-free volume, finger recesses without channels. Rotational moulding is predestined for this — it delivers exactly these geometries without weld lines.

Pathogenic germ that grows even at +4 °C and is the most feared cross-contaminant in meat, fish and dairy plants.

Listeria survives in biofilms on cold, damp surfaces and is favoured by the smallest scratch. Listeria-driven recalls typically cost €0.5–5 million. Our seamless containers are engineered to minimise exactly these niches.

Transfer of plastic constituents into the food — strictly regulated in the EU by migration limits in EU 10/2011.

Migration is tested as Overall Migration Limit (OML, 10 mg/dm² contact area) and Specific Migration Limits (SML, substance-specific). All Rotogal food-contact products are tested in accredited labs against these limits — the results form part of the DoC.

Sterilisation in place — steam cleaning at ≥121 °C to inactivate residual microbial load.

SIP supplements CIP in pharma manufacturing and in certain dairy cells. Plastic containers must be explicitly approved for this — typically PP-based or XLPE-reinforced. We issue a temperature-cycle documentation for every approval.

Unbroken temperature control from production to end-user — critical for fresh goods, pharmaceuticals and deep-frozen product.

A cold chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Rotogal containers are impact-tough down to −40 °C, qualifying them for frozen intralogistics, while our dry-ice boxes actively hold −79 °C through transport and handoff.

Mobile, wheeled hygienic container ~200 l for meat processing — shuttles between bowl cutter, grinder and filler.

The cutter wagon is the classic workhorse in meat production. Rotogal's version is seamlessly rotomoulded, without weld lines or threaded joints in the product space — with cushioned castors and integrated hand grips.

Maximum load during active handling (forklift, pallet jack) — typically one third of the static rating.

Dynamic loads arise during acceleration, shock and turning motions. Rotogal declares both static and dynamic ratings for every pallet and pallet box — size your load against the dynamic rating, not the static one.

Standard 1200 × 800 mm pallet (EPAL 1) — reference dimension for the entire European pallet pool.

The classic wooden EPAL euro pallet is unsuited for food, pharma and cleanrooms. Our hygienic plastic pallets share the same footprint but are rotomoulded, seamless, water-resistant and HACCP-compliant.

Bulk container 500–1,500 l, often with outlet tap; for liquid bulk — our closed hygienic pallet box is the non-tap counterpart.

Classic IBCs (e.g. UN-approved composites with steel cage) are built for hazardous liquids. For hygiene-sensitive non-hazardous applications a rotomoulded seamless pallet box is usually the better choice — fewer niches, easier to clean.

International phytosanitary standard for wooden export packaging — fumigation or heat treatment; not applicable to plastic pallets.

Wooden pallets in overseas export must be ISPM-15 certified (IPPC stamp). Plastic pallets are exempt from ISPM-15 and can ship without additional documentation — a tangible advantage for companies with growing export volumes.

Property of empty containers to stack inside one another — saves empty return space and return freight cost by up to 60 %.

Nestable containers dramatically reduce volume on empty return. Rotogal offers both nestable and stackable variants — the choice depends on the full-load vs. return-load ratio.

Large transport container on pallet footprint, usually 1200 × 1000 or 1200 × 800 mm, with 300–800 l volume.

Pallet boxes are the workhorse of food and pharma intralogistics. Rotogal builds them seamlessly rotomoulded with heavy-duty runners, optional inserts and drainage slopes for CIP runoff.

Maximum load a carrier can bear in stationary stacking (e.g. in a warehouse) without permanent deformation.

Static load ratings apply on level ground with even support. Rotogal hygienic pallets typically hold 4,000–6,000 kg static, pallet boxes (fully loaded) 1,200–2,500 kg.

EU directive on explosive atmospheres — requires e.g. electrically conductive containers in zone 21/22.

In chemical and pharma production with combustible dust, plastic containers are usually ATEX-relevant. Rotogal offers conductive formulations (surface resistance < 10⁶ Ω) and supplies ATEX conformity documentation.

Recommendations from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment on plastics and rubber in food contact — effectively binding in Germany.

BfR recommendations (notably BfR III for polyethylene) concretise at national level what EU 10/2011 regulates more abstractly. For shipments to the German market we include BfR conformity as a standard item in the DoC.

Formal document in which the manufacturer confirms a part meets specific regulations — e.g. EU 10/2011.

Every Rotogal food delivery ships with a product- and batch-specific DoC covering material, formulation reference, migration results and use conditions. The DoC is the foundation for HACCP, IFS/BRCGS/FSSC audits.

EU regulation on plastics for food contact — the central European rulebook with migration limits and authorised-substance list.

EU 10/2011 defines which raw materials and additives are allowed in food-contact plastics and sets the migration limits (OML, SML). Every Rotogal food delivery is accompanied by a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) to this regulation.

US regulation on polymers in food contact — counterpart to EU 10/2011 for exports to the US.

21 CFR Part 177 lists the permitted polymers and additives for indirect food contact in the US. For export projects Rotogal supplies an FDA 21 CFR certificate including the approved additive list.

International rules for Good Manufacturing Practice — mandatory in pharma, increasingly applied in food manufacturing.

GMP requires qualified materials, full traceability and validated processes. Rotogal products for pharma processes are manufactured GMP-compliant and ship with batch, material and cleaning documentation.

The three leading food-safety audit standards — all require documented, HACCP-compliant transport containers without any wood.

Anyone audited against IFS Food, BRCGS or FSSC 22000 must present a documented food-safety assessment for packaging and pallets. Rotogal supplies a compliance pack with DoC, material certificates, cleaning release and traceability to cover this.

Cleanroom classification by particle load — from ISO 1 (ultra-clean) to ISO 9 (normal office air).

For ISO 8 and tighter, transport containers must be low-particle, ESD-controlled and wipe-disinfectant resistant. Our cleanroom pallet boxes meet these demands with dedicated formulations and surface finishes.

Classification of API toxicity in pharma manufacturing — OEB 1 (non-critical) to OEB 5 (high potency).

From OEB 3 onwards, closed transport containers with validated cleaning and release procedures are required. Rotogal pharma pallet boxes are standard-designed for OEB 3–4 and can be qualified for OEB 5 on request.