FOOD & BEVERAGE
FOOD PROCESSORS “TEST DRIVE” CONVEYORS AT WORLD-CLASS FACILITY
At state-of-the-art OEM testing facility, food processors can verify the performance of their product and receive expert consultation on tubular disc and cable conveyors
E
ven when people love the look of a car or SUV, most would not complete a purchase before a test drive to confirm how the vehicle performs on the road. Similarly, today an increasing number of food processors are realizing the importance of “test driving” conveyor equipment at OEM test facilities, which use their actual product to ensure the equipment meets processor quality, flow, and cleaning requirements before they make the purchase. In response, some OEMs have invested in state- of-the-art test facilities that allow food processors to run product on the same type of equipment they are considering for purchase, while benefitting from expert consultation to optimize their process.
“We encourage food processors to test their products [at our facility] and observe the results
to ensure it meets their needs. They can ask questions in real time. They can test for fines or degradation. They can see for themselves how the product flows in the conveyor and how easy it is to clean,” says Larry Van Zee, Executive VP, retired at Cablevey Conveyors, a mechanical conveyor manufacturer that serves the specialty food, coffee, powder, nut, frozen food, and pet food markets. In more than 66 countries, the company has designed, engineered, and serviced enclosed cable and disc tube conveyors for almost 50 years.
At its full-service product test center in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the OEM has tested more than 1,900 products, including beans, rice, grains, cereals, coffee, chocolate, and caramel corn peanut snacks, for some of the largest global brands. All products are run through a tubular
14 APRIL 2023 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
disc and cable conveying system to observe the effects and fine-tune the results.
According to Scott Berning, Cablevey’s Product Testing Manager, there are multiple reasons food processors decide to visit the test center. “Customers may have products that we know will run well on tubular cable conveyors, but they want to see it in operation with their own eyes,” says Berning. “They want to ensure the product will run properly, and their quality department typically checks as part of their due diligence before purchasing equipment.” Berning adds that when Cablevey’s applications department designs and quotes a conveyor and the manufacturer lacks sufficient experience conveying a specific product, the email quote states it is “pending successful product testing.”
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