Food & Beverage Sanitary Welding & Plant Maintenancein Northwest Indiana & Chicagoland

What does SSI do for food and beverage plants?

We build and maintain the stainless piping and equipment that food and beverage plants depend on. Our crews handle sanitary welding and pipe fabrication, equipment installation, conveyor and drive work, and preventive maintenance across Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. AWS certified welders do the stainless work.

Sanitation and efficiency are non-negotiable in this industry. Piping has to drain, welds have to be smooth inside, and installs have to fit between production runs. That’s the standard we work to.

What makes a weld sanitary?

A sanitary weld is fully penetrated, smooth on the inside and free of crevices, so nothing can hide where cleaning solution can’t reach. Getting there takes the right prep, the right process and the right gas coverage on both sides of the joint.

On sanitary stainless work, our welders:

• square and clean tube ends so the joint fits up tight with no gaps;
• TIG weld with a back purge of inert gas so the inside of the weld doesn’t oxidize (“sugar”);
• aim for full penetration with a smooth, even inside bead;
• inspect the joints and fix anything that doesn’t meet the spec before the line goes back in service.

Read more on our sanitary welding and fabrication page.

Sanitary vs. process piping: what’s the difference?

Sanitary piping is built so it can be cleaned in place and inspected, while process piping is built mainly to carry fluid safely. Food and beverage plants usually need both.

	Sanitary piping	Process piping
Typical material	Polished stainless tube	Carbon or stainless pipe
Inside finish	Smooth, crevice-free	Standard mill finish
Joints	Sanitary welds and clamp fittings	Welded, flanged or threaded
Drainage	Sloped, no dead legs	Depends on service
Typical use	Product, ingredients, CIP	Utilities, water, steam, air

We build both. See pipe fabrication for utility and process lines.

How do you handle installs and line changes?

We plan installs around your production and sanitation schedule. We walk the line first, then build spools and supports in our Portage shop, so field work is mostly fit-up and tie-in. Our crews set, level and align the equipment, and connect it to your piping and utilities.

That covers equipment installation for tanks, pumps, fillers and packaging machines, and conveyor systems that move product between them.

How do you work around production and sanitation?

We work around production and sanitation by planning the job before we show up. That means agreeing on the work area, the hours, the hygiene rules and the cleanup with your team ahead of time.

On site, our crews follow your good manufacturing practice (GMP) rules, wear the protective gear your plant requires and keep grinding, welding and cutting contained. Shop fabrication keeps most of the dust and debris out of your building. When the work is done, we clean the area and hand it back ready for your sanitation crew, so the line can restart on time.

How do you keep food plant equipment running?

Washdown, heat and constant cycling are hard on pumps, gearboxes and conveyor drives. Our preventive maintenance program schedules inspections, laser alignment and rebuilds before a failure stops the line.

Why do food and beverage plants call SSI?

Plants call us because one contractor can weld the stainless, fabricate the supports, install the equipment and align the drives. Our crews follow your plant’s GMP and hygiene rules, run a job hazard analysis (JHA) on every job and are ISNetworld and Avetta prequalified. If a line is down, call (219) 386-1506 any time. Done right the first time.