See us at the PMCA Show in Lancaster, PA on 4/15
Home » Conveyor » Belt » Page 8
Conveyors are the bridges between the islands of automation on any packaging line. Belt conveyors us a continuous belt material as opposed being made up of individual links as in chain conveyor.
There are literally hundreds of belt materials to choose from. These range from very rough belts where high friction is required to carry a case up an incline, to smooth belts that sanitary and easy to clean for direct contact with foods. Belts can be solid metal to carry cake batter through ovens of cooking, or wire mesh for enrobing candies.
Belts can be flat or can be formed into a U or trough. They can include sides and lugs up to several inches high.
Belts can range in width from less than an inch to several yards wide. Conveyors can be as short as a foot or two or, in some applications, several miles long. Most belt conveyors are straight running. Belting doesn’t easily bend around curves but there are plenty of belt curves and even spiral elevators.
It is hard to imagine a belt conveyor design that isn’t readily available. But if you do imagine one, there is surely someone who can build it.
Belt conveyors used in packaging generally come in two types: Slider bed and roller bed. The belt rides directly on the conveyor frame in a slider bed design. A plastic liner may be used between frame and belt to reduce friction. Slider bed conveyors are simple and work well where belt speeds and loads are not high.
If higher speeds and loads are required, a roller bed design may be used. A series of rollers is mounted on the frame with the belt riding on top of them. The rollers eliminate virtually all friction on the belt.
Belt conveyor frames may be made from stainless or painted steel, plastic, aluminum or other materials to suit.
Various types of belt splices may be used depending on the application. If the belt needs to be removed periodically, perhaps for cleaning, an alligator or similar splice should be used. This permits unsplicing by removal of a pin. The alligator cause several other problems. If the conveyor is used directly for conveying food products, the splice will collect product and may be difficult to clean. Since the splice is not smooth, it may also damage the product if the product slides over it.
A seamless, or nearly seamless, splice can avoid these issues. The ends of the belt are skived so that they overlap smoothly. The ends are then glued or vulcanized together. This makes for a strong, smooth, splice but may be beyond the capabilities of some plants to do in-house. It can also make the belt difficult to remove. If that become necessary.
Unlike most chain conveyors, belt conveyors can be run in either direction, drive permitting. Drive may be with AC or DC motors, servo motors or even pneumatic motors.
Belt conveyors are the ideal choice for small or fragile products that might get damaged or scuffed by a chain conveyor. The monolithic surfaces makes them a breeze to clean, too.
NCC Automated Systems stainless steel transfer conveyor. Equipped with a 42" wide x 9" long stainless steel mesh belt with bull nose transfer ends powered by a ¾ hp drive.
OAD: 18"L x 56"W x 47"H
Stainless steel wire belt conveyor with heated chocolate collection bin. Equipped with a 16" wide x 16" long infeed conveyor mounted above a 19" wide x 20" long x 7" deep heated chocolate collection bin with a 2"OD / 1½"ID seated bevel port and a 16" wide x 36" long dischargeing conveyor. Control panel with digital temperature control and on / off switch.
OAD: 60"L x 30"W x 54"H
Stainless steel, 30" wide x 130" long, conveyor. Equipped with a 30" wide x 130" long Neoprene belt powered by a 5 hp drive. Mounted on casters and leveling pads with an infeed / discharge height of 36".
OAD: 130"L x 66"W x 44"H
Campbell Hardage, stainless steel, table top conveyor. Equipped with a 36"wide x 114" long Intralox belt powered by a 1 Hp drive and mounted on (4) leveling legs with an infeed / discharge height of 26".
OAD: 118"L x 48"W x 26"H
Keenline stainless steel, incline trough belt conveyor feeder with amount of product per hour – depending on materials and application. Equipped with a 21" wide x 44" long x 11" deep stainless steel hopper with a 31" charge height, 18" wide x 311" long ribbed blue rubber belt and discharging at 90" high with bottom ½ Hp motor drive. Mounted on stainless steel (8) legs frame with casters.
OAD: 300"L x 30"W x 90"H
BMI, Model 5030, 39¼" wide x 145" long, stainless steel belt conveyor. Equipped with a 39¼" wide x 145" long blue food grade belt, 1 Hp drive and mounted on (6) legs with locking casters and an infeed / discharge range of 32" to 40".
OAD: 145"L x 60"W x 39"H
20" wide x 121" long, stainless steel belt conveyor. Equipped with a 20" wide x 121" long Neoprene belt with bottom ½ Hp drive and mounted on (8) legs with leveling legs and an infeed / discharge range of 40" to 45".
OAD: 123"L x 32"W x 45"H
G2 Material Handling, 9" Wide x 82" Long, stainless steel, cooling conveyor. Equipped with a 9" wide x 82" long stainless steel mesh belt, 7½" wide x 10½" long charge opening with a 27" to 36" infeed height, 25" to 34" discharge height, lexan covers with 2" clearance, 0.88 hp blower package, variable speed controls and mounted on a stainless steel frame with height adjustable legs and casters.
OAD: 94"L x 22"W x 37"H
36" wide x 118" long, stainless steel belt conveyor. Equipped with a 36" wide x 118" long Neoprene belt with pneumatic tensioning, 1 Hp drive and mounted on (4) legs with locking casters and an infeed / discharge range of 36" to 40".
OAD: 120"L x 63"W x 36"H
Keenline, stainless steel conveyor. Equipped with a 10" wide x 285" long Neoprene belt with an infeed / discharge range of 32" to 35", ¾ hp drive and mounted on (10) legs with casters.
OAD: 285"L x 26"W x 33"H
Keenline, stainless steel conveyor. Equipped with an 8" wide x 230" long Neoprene belt with an infeed / discharge height of 35", pneumatic stop gate on discharge end, ½ hp drive and mounted on (6) legs.
OAD: 230"L x 19"W x 45"H
Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest in packaging tips, case studies and more.