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20/11/2012

 

There are three factors to consider when choosing belting materials for conveying operations:

 

Application: Understanding the application is very important, as there are hygienic food grade belts designed for different applications. Depending on where the belt will run, there are trade-offs between modular plastic belts and positive drive flat belts.

 

For example, modular belting is an excellent alternative for abusive applications, such as cutting on the belt or when handling sharp bone-in product. In contrast, zero-tension flat belts excel in applications with extremely high sanitation requirements (such as ready-to-eat), a great deal of abrasion, those that require troughing or a 100 percent closed surface for containment, and situations where preventing allergen cross-contamination is essential.

 

Direct Food Contact: For direct food contact applications, it is preferable to use homogenous food grade plastic belts rather than those containing reinforcing fibers. When belts with reinforcing cords or fabric are damaged or worn, the reinforcements become exposed and can absorb fluids and harbor bacteria.

 

What results is a source of contamination that is often difficult to detect and impossible to clean. Belts made from layers of different materials like fabric and plastic may have the layers come apart, exposing the fabric and causing sanitation problems. Using a belt that is made from only one material eliminates these risks.

 

Pre-Tension: For best cleaning access to the frame of a conveyor, choose a belt that does not require any pre-tension. Because even limited amounts of pre-tension restrict access to the conveyor, the poorly cleaned areas that can result are at risk for harboring harmful bacteria.

 

Zero-tension and modular plastic belting can most often be cleaned in place by simply lifting the belt off the frame of the conveyor, eliminating many of the performance issues associated with traditional flat belts.