Equipment Round Up: Conveyors

May 10, 2010
Our May equipment Round Up focuses on conveyors and conveyor systems.

Sanitary screw conveyor
Bulk foods and dairy products now have a flexible screw conveyor that meets 3-A sanitary standards. The conveyor's innovative coupling design -- positioned beyond the point at which material exits the discharge spout -- eliminates the potential of contamination, while allowing quick disconnection of the screw from the motor drive for wash down. A flexible inner screw that self-centers as it rotates is the sole moving part making contact with the material in the tube. The screw provides clearance between itself and the tube wall, creating a gentle rolling action. Numerous standard and custom-engineered screws are offered to move bulk materials ranging from large pellets to sub-micron powders, including products that pack, cake, smear, break-apart, seize or fluidize, with no separation of blended products.
Flexicon Corp.; Bethlehem, Pa.
888-353-9426; www.flexicon.com


Reduces product damage
Small size and a powerful drive that accepts a variety of pan sizes make the new FastBack 90E horizontal motion conveyor ideal for a variety of product distribution applications. The conveyor has programmable speed options and automatically adjusts to match the demands of multihead weighers. The equipment's slow-forward fast-back horizontal motion does not bounce product, so it significantly reduces product breakage and build-ups in the pan, eliminating mid-shift downtime for cleaning and is equally efficient for dry or frozen foods.
Heat and Control; Hayward, Calif.
800-227-5980; www.heatandcontrol.com


Monitor your shakers
The SmartArm is a wireless performance monitoring system for vibratory conveyors that enables users to monitor asset or equipment shaker condition at any computer workstation. The system measures and reports speed and stroke to provide real-time analysis of shaker function, line-flow conditions and trends at-a-glance. The system also shows an alert when speed or stroke are out of tolerance, preventing downtime and reducing labor, while also providing the opportunity to improve process efficiencies. It includes a self-powered wireless sensor, a remote base station and licensed software. Easy to install and operate, the monitoring system can be linked to the customer’s plant-wide network to deliver line performance data and alerts to remote users.
Key Technology; Walla Walla, Wash.
509-529-2161; www.key.net

Has the food industry covered
From processing to packaging, AquaGard's new platform is suitable for a variety of food products including: bakery, snack food, confectionary, fruit, vegetables and non-protein ready-to-eat. The conveyor increases throughput with speeds up to 260 ft. per min. and is available in straights, curves, inclines and declines. To reduce product loss, the equipment has 1-in. nosebar tails for small part transfers and a roller transfer plate for smooth product transfer in minimal added length. The belt is available in widths of 4-36 in. and lengths 3-38 ft.
Dorner Mfg. Corp.; Hartland, Wis.
800-97-8664; www.dorner.com


Easy clean, easy efficiency
The Omni-Pro FlexLite, a strong and lightweight belt for conveying pans, trays, and large products, proves easy to clean and improves processing efficiency. The belt, which is BISSC third party verified, is manufactured with a patented design and uses a durable, lightweight and open 1.5x3-in. (fixed loop) flat wire overlay. The equipment incorporates features that reduce maintenance costs and downtime, and is easily cleaned to reduce sanitation costs. Turn ratios range from 1.6 to 2.5 and belt widths are available in even widths from 24 to 60 in.
Ashworth Bros.; Winchester, Va.
800-682-4594; www.ashworth.com

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