Tuesday, August 20, 2013

How Conveyor Belts Are Suited to Each Food Processing Job

Conveyor belts and the food industry have a great relationship. It seems whenever a news station or television show gets access to a factory, hundreds of products zoom through production on a lightning-fast conveyor belt. Regardless of whether a company is producing boxes of crackers or moving fruit down a line, there’s a conveyor belt for every job.

The important part of this process is to tailor each specific belt to the product. Although it doesn’t always matter what weave is used, the metal is key. Our belts are available in carbon, galvanized, and stainless steel, and each is tailored to the specific food product and temperature.

For example, 304 stainless steel—one of the most versatile and popular forms of stainless steel—is standard for frozen foods. Surprisingly, on the other end of the temperature spectrum, most food applications in frying also use the 304 grade. This specific grade is made up of classic 18/8 stainless steel, and it’s the most common among manufacturers because it can be readily formed and has superior welding and forming capabilities.

Say a company made the mistake of using an incorrect material for their product, the processed food could be compromised and the belt could have major corrosion issues. The mechanical properties in these belts are very delicate and suited to each customer’s need, which is why there’s no reason to look elsewhere—for a trusted source of conveyor belting, head over to our website.