Food Processing Belting Solutions

In the food processing industry, belting provides a simple, yet very important, function–move ingredients and products from one point of the process to the next.

Food processors want their belts to be durable and hygienic. Because these are coming into contact with materials on a regular basis, they must also be easy to clean and maintain.

At EnSight Solutions, we use Intralox for the majority of our belts. The company has a lot of experience in the food industry, and their products are top notch. In addition, they provide great customer service and are easy to work with in regard to new projects and replacements.

Let’s take a closer look at the food processing belting solutions EnSight offers and what makes each unique.

 

Exploring Our Food Processing Belting Solutions

Modular Belting

Modular belting is the most-common type of belt EnSight uses on conveyors, as well as the type of belt that most food processors recognize.

This style of belt features “pieces” that are tied together via sprockets and connections. They are extremely easy to fix and/or replace. If a piece breaks, the customer can just remove the sprocket connecting that section, remove the broken part and put in a new one. Reconnect and go.

In addition, these belts are fairly easy to clean. Because they are simple to disassemble, the customers can easily take them off the conveyor and soak it in their preferred cleaning solutions.

Due to the makeup of the modular belting, the materials can become brittle in cold environments, which means they will need to be replaced and/or repaired more often.

But, despite that, modular belting is easily the most adaptable option. For one, it’s the only style of belting that can be used on conveyors that feature a corner/radius. These belts can also be used on inclines.

 

ThermoDrive Belting

The second-most common belting style is the ThermoDrive belting. While not as flexible in its uses (it can only be used on conveyors that run straight without radiuses or corners), it is easily the most hygienic.

The modular style features connections that can provide harborage points for bacteria. The ThermoDrive style, on the other hand, is made up of one continuous length of plastic material. This means that there are absolutely no harborage points. In fact, to clean it, the processor can basically just wash it down on the conveyor.

It’s also easy to fix. If a section of the belting needs to be replaced, the processor can easily cut out the damaged part and “weld” a new section into the belting. In no time at all, the belt will be fixed and ready to run again.

While ThermoDrive belting is only for conveyors that run straight, it can be altered with buckets or cleats for inclines.

 

Stainless Steel Belting

Stainless steel belting is the least-common belting due to its price and being much less hygienic.

These types of belts are usually found near ovens, when the heat would melt the modular or ThermoDrive belts. Due to their makeup, stainless steel belts provide a lot of spots for harboring bacteria and therefore require more rigorous cleaning processes.

 

Replacement Belts

Regardless the type of belt the processor chooses, it will likely need to be replaced at some point in the machine’s lifetime.

At EnSight, we make this process as simple as possible! If EnSight built the conveyor system, the processor just has to contact our Customer Service department and provide the serial number for the conveyor. We can quickly look up the product and match the replacement belt to the original.

If the conveyor is made by a company other than EnSight, we recommend that processors can Intralox directly for a replacement. Intralox provides fast service, and their team is very knowledgeable. By asking just a few questions, they will be able to quickly and easily determine what size and style of replacement belt will be needed and start the order.

Either way, you will be back up and running in no time!

 

At EnSight, we have decades of experience developing conveyor solutions to meet virtually any food processing need. If you want to learn more, contact our sales consultants.