Page 18 - Plastics News May 2020

Tips To Sanitize Machine Controller Screens & Buttons

John Bozzelli
With the COVID-19 pandemic, it's time to recognize the up to a few days on some surfaces.
controller as another touchscreen that can have the live
virus on it. This means it must be sanitized, not just How often do you touch the screen and push the buttons?
cleaned.
Can you remember the last time the screen and buttons
were even cleaned, let alone sanitized? Now, for your
own health and others, it is imperative that you take
time to sanitize your machine screens and buttons.
Maybe you thought nothing could live with all the grime
and oil buildup there, but times they are a changing. We
need to work at preventing the spread of the virus to
ourselves and others. So, what is the best way to sanitize
the controller screen?

Stop—do not pick up the nearest wipe or hand sanitizer.
That controller is expensive, and costs thousands of
dollars to replace. So you don't want to scratch,
chemically etch, smear, remove labels, fog up, or ruin
the touch sensitivity of the screen. It would be nice if
Keeping everyone, especially our staff, safe at the plant they were made of glass—that would make things
or office from the coronavirus makes it extremely easy—but most are similar to your computer, tablet or
important to institute a sanitizing procedure on all touch cellphone screens. They are likely to be covered with a
surfaces of the controller, screen and operating panel. touch-sensitive plastic film, which may be harmed by
some cleaners. The goal is to sanitize, not damage or fog
We as processors tend to take the machine's controller up the screen. The virus can live a few hours to a few
and operating panel for granted. We like some and days on some of these surfaces. Hence, we now go from
despise others, but rarely do we give them the attention rarely (never) cleaning the controller screen and panel
they deserve. Daily production pressures such as process to keeping the screens and buttons free of these dirty
interruptions, part defects, resin issues, etc., keep you devils.
so busy that the controller screen and buttons don't
really register as components that need attention. We How much sanitizing can these screens take? No easy
just expect the controller to function properly … and answer to this, and you will need to monitor how your
most of the time it does. controllers are holding up to whatever procedure you
implement. How often do you need to do it? My guess is a
We all love to push the buttons and turn the knobs. Think minimum of once a shift, but since there are few test kits
about it, most controller screens are at eye level. at this time, we don't know who has the virus; so perhaps
several times a shift. Frequency probably depends on
Usually we work fairly close to the screen so we can see
how many people use the controller.
their inputs and process parameters or values. But now,
with the COVID-19 pandemic, it's time to recognize the What sanitizer is best for your controllers? First step is to
controller as another touchscreen that can have the live contact the machine manufacturer and see what it
virus on it. This means it must be sanitized, not just recommends. My initial queries got next-day responses,
with the recommendations of soapy water and 70%
cleaned. It needs appropriate attention, as it's a critical
isopropanol (rubbing alcohol). Both are known to kill the
component of every machine. If anyone coughs or
virus, but is there something better? An internet search
sneezes, tiny droplets can fly “up to about 26 ft and on turns up a list of about 300 disinfectants that kill the
average roughly 20 ft,” according to the U.S. Centers for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which is responsible for the
Disease Control. Essentially, that contaminates disease labeled COVID-19.
everything on the screen and control panel. Plus the
This list also provides the necessary contact time to kill
viruses are hardy little buggers that can persist for hours
the virus. It takes 30 sec to 5 min to kill the SARS-CoV-2

MAY 2020 18 Plastics News