What Are The Main Types Of Conveyor Belts

Three main types of conveyor belts

There are three main industrial classes of belt conveyors; food processing conveyors, general material handling and bulk material handling. The conveyor belt system you need will depend on what your transporting, the speed it needs to travel and other factors. We have covered How Conveyor Systems Work in a previous article

Food Processing Conveyors

Whatever format the food product ( raw, chilled, frozen, prepared) enters your production environment cleanliness is crucial for health and safe environment; and your food handling conveyors need to comply to relevant regulations.

Types of Conveyor used in the food industry

Various conveyor systems are used to handle different types of products and processes. These include Belt Conveyors, Chain Conveyors, Spiral Conveyors, Modular Belt Conveyors and Incline/Decline Conveyors. This is just a snapshot of the various types of conveyor systems that provide the flexibility and efficiency needed to handle the food processing industry’s diverse and often challenging requirements.

Typical applications of a food quality conveyor

• Separating and grading – whereby food items automatically or manually sized and allocated to specific locations
• Reject systems for defects – whereby food product that doesn’t meet grading standards is removed from the production process
• Cleaning of raw fruits, vegetables and salads with water or air
• Transportation from one process to another and from sizing to coating
• Diverting of frozen or fresh produce
• Drying – whereby an item can dry naturally on the conveyor as it progresses, or be transported through an air dryer
• Transfer of delicate fruit and vegetable products
• Handling of loose and raw food products
• Coding and labeling packaging and bottles
• Conveyor system where hygiene is essential and the conveyor needs to be completely cleaned and sanitised
• Food products that can typically be handled on a food product conveyor include frozen foods, vegetables and fruit, bakery products, fish and seafood, poultry ( including Chicken, Turkey, Goose and Duck), Raw, Fresh, Chilled, Processed  product, Ready Meals, Confectionery and Halal

Food Conveyor Grade Belt

There are a wide range of food grade quality belts available with food grade coatings. It is important to ensure that these are fully compliant to FDA and EU regulations.

Typical examples of food grade belting include

• Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)
• Thermo drive
• White Belt or Blue food grade Belting
• Antibacterial grade belting
• Abrasion resistant coating
• Blade and knife resistant
• Activated Roller Belt 

General material handling belts

These conveyors move materials, components, packaging, products, and items across short distances within a building. At the end of production, they transport items from a processing line to a dispatch or transportation area or vehicle.

Bulk material handling belts

As the name suggests bulk material handling belts are used where there are large volumes of dry materials, raw goods, sharp heavy materials, , or metals. Examples of bulk materials are flours, rice, grains, sugar, minerals, ores, sand, stone, and chemicals. Becuase of this bulk material handling conveyor systems and conveyor belts are useful for industries that produce bulk materials such as food and drink, animal food, agriculture, and chemicals.

Why do people use conveyor belts?

A conveyor system primarily increases and improves throughput in a section of the production or transportation process by moving products efficiently from A to B to C. Since the output of the production equipment limits the production process, we need to design the conveyors to match input and output speeds. By providing a labour cost-saving benefit, conveyors enable more products to be manufactured, sorted, and sent to customers quickly and efficiently.

By reducing the number of people required to carry out the task, conveyor systems usually reduce the space required to move items. This allows the process to run in a smaller area of the facility, freeing up working space.

Conveyor Belt Safety

Belt conveyors rank among the most commonly used power conveyors because they are affordable and versatile. They can carry various shaped objects, including small, large, heavy, and light, with rough random edges or square and flat. Additionally, the usage and location of these conveyor systems determine the necessary health and safety measures. For instance, when moving light and compact goods on an incline through multiple processes and sections at high speeds, you must follow stricter rules and guidelines to ensure the products stay on the conveyor system. Moreover, different environments and applications may require tailored safety protocols to maintain efficiency and safety standards. Consequently, understanding the specific needs of each application is crucial for optimal performance and safety.

Conveyor Safety Mechanisms

Conveyors used in industrial settings include trip cord safety mechanisms along the sides of the conveyor, with safety start-stop button. This allows operators to shut down the conveyor with immediate effect if a problem arises.

A conveyor system manufacturer who takes health and safety as a paramount feature of their business service will be able to demonstrate their capabilities through their : Track record of customers for whom who they have manufactured conveyor systems / Design and Production facilities / Accreditations such as EN1090-1 , Constructionline, Builders Profile.

What Are The Main Types Of Conveyor Belts – Are you looking for a conveyor system?

What Are The Main Types Of Conveyor Belts? Wrightfield manufactures shuttle conveyor, transfer conveyor, inclined belt conveyors, wire belt conveyor, slat conveyor, roller conveyor systems.

They also offer a range of bespoke multi lane and merge, spiral conveyor, activated roller belt, modular belt , flexible conveyors and cooling conveyors.

If you need a conveyor system, for the food industry Wrightfield can help you identify what conveyor system specification to choose. We can provide you with optimum operating effectiveness and efficiency, increasing throughput and decreasing costs, contact Wrightfield today.

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