p.16 Conveying - BW Spring 2013_p.16 Conveying - BW Spring 2013.qxd 13/03/2013 10:05 Page 17
too – means these
products can only
be baked on a solid
conveyor.
As a result,
Sandvik is reporting
increasing business
from bakeries
wanting to upgrade
existing lines to
steel belt conveyors.
The solid
CAmbridge’s hollowdrive roll And PreCision sProCkets whiCh ensure
surface of a steel
effiCient Conveying.
belt also provides
a crisp base that
cannot be achieved on any other conveying
medium, and its hard, smooth quality delivers a
clean product release.
But, claim Intralox, plastic offers corrosion
resistance, positive drives, high strength, low
friction, abrasion resistance, and the ability to be
built to almost any width and length, with a variety
of flights, sideguards, and other accessories.
dramatic savings
The application of Intralox technology, said a
company spokesman, has enabled manufacturers
worldwide to experience dramatic savings in
product loss, significant increases in throughput,
and reduction in other cost drivers, like labour,
maintenance and belt life.
This is countered by Sandvik’s Krister Lundgren,
global product manager, who says: “The
advantages of a steel belt, not least in terms of
durability and hygiene, are convincing many to look
instead at lifetime cost!.
She continued: “Equally important is the ability to
maintain the highest standards of hygiene and this
is another area where steel belts score highly.
“The smooth, hard surface of the steel belt has
two key benefits in this respect.
“Firstly there are no hidden gaps, recesses or
crevices in which bacteria could survive and
reproduce. And secondly, it is extremely easy to
clean and sanitise, whether by heat, pressure,
brushes, detergents, chemicals or any combination
of these.”
There is another US company which favours the
metal option.
Cambridge International manufacture many
conveyor belt products for the biscuit industry,
including oven bands, proofing belts and cooling
belts to name a few.
Kelly Hayden, director of market & business
development, said: “Metal belting is inherently
hygienic and easy-to-clean. Made from food-safe
stainless steel, some Cambridge International belts
are engineered specifically for easy sanitation.”
Stainless steel resists scratches and nicks and
does not absorb bacteria, making it impervious to
biofilms adds Hayden, while Sandvik’s Lundgren
BISCUIT WORLD
spring 2013
“Equally important is
the ability to maintain
the highest standards of
hygiene.”
says the solid surface of a steel belt also provides a
crisp base