In the food processing industry, conveyor belts are used to transport the product to various workstations such as washing, grinding, separating, cutting, portioning and weighing.
The belt joints play an important part here.
Besides lasting for a long time, they must comply with the stringent hygiene requirements.
Meat in particular is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
At IFFA in Frankfurt, Germany from May 7 to 12, 2016, Flexco will be presenting an assembly system in the form of the Novitool Amigo for users of such lines to produce the belt joints efficiently.
Belts made of thermoplastic materials such as polyvinyl chloride and polyurethane are predominantly used in the meat processing chain.
The ends can be joined mechanically or spliced to make endless belts.
In an endless belt the two ends are welded together, creating what seems to be a continuous unit. This joint is stable, extremely durable and, because it is seamless, no deposits accumulate.
Novitool Amigo is one such press for users to join conveyor belts quickly and easily without removing them from the system.
It regulates the process and creates a controlled and uniform connection.
The service engineer places the ends of the belt in user-defined jigs that are provided for the purpose.
Time is saved as there is no need for any preparatory work for accurate positioning.
The press has a pre-heating function that removes any moisture remaining in the belt and therefore also prevents air from being trapped.
In the welding process, the Amigo press applies heat in a controlled manner to the belt ends without physical contact.
The service engineer produces a secure, high-quality splice in only a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Flexco’s Novitool Aero is an integral ventilation system that cools the belt quickly after welding.
This increases the quality of the joint and speeds up the job to approximately seven to 12 minutes.
This enables the service engineer to achieve rapid turnaround times while being easy to handle. All components for a welding cycle are incorporated in the press.
The worker or operator connects it to the power supply and can start work immediately.
The press is available in five designs for belt widths from 300 to 1.500 mm.
Foodgrade pre-cleaner
Wet and sticky product residues are often left adhering to the conveyor belt during processing. If they solidify, staff must laboriously remove these deposits.
Using Flexco’s FGP pre-cleaner, it is easy to fit and remove for regular cleaning and disinfection.
The pre-cleaner works on any belt from 100 to 1.500 mm wide.
The cleaning blade is available in white, blue and in a grey material that can be detected by metal scanners, and is approved as being suitable for use with foodstuffs by the FDA.
The C-measuring gauge enables the user to move the adjusting axis to the optimum position.
The tensioning springs are also easy to adjust to ensure ideal contact between the cleaning blade and the conveyor belt for maximum cleaning performance.
The FGP pre-cleaner has been certified by the USDA for use with meat, poultry and dairy products.
