Monolithic belts are made from a
solid, homogenous piece of material, reducing the potential for it becom- ing a contaminant.
Handle with care!
Suzanne Callander reports on some of the belts and conveying solutions that are used within the confectionery production industry, with a focus on their benefits in different applications?
P
roducing high quality confectionery products requires careful product handling throughout the many processes which often need to occur before it reaches the consumer. Whether for chocolate, sugar products or gummies, a belt with the relevant properties to handle the application is vital – and there are many to choose from. Jeremy Byrne, Managing Director of GB Belting, explains about some of the different types of belts available today. “The fabric reinforced belt is a traditional product which can be used in a multitude of applications – from cooling tunnels to chocolate enrobers, batching conveyors, checkweighers and metal detectors. More recently, plastic modular belting has been gaining converts in the confectionery sector. This type of belt is made from a series of plastic modules with connecting rods.
“The most recent addition to the range of belts available
for confectionery applications is the monolithic belt which is made from a solid, homogenous piece of material – usually polyurethane or polyester – which contains no fabric.”
14 Kennedy’s Confection August/September 2022
Jeremy went on to point out that most confectionery manufacturers will require a combination of all three belt types on their production lines as there is no one-belt- fits-all solution. “Traditionally, conveyor belts have been made of different layers of material. Today, most belts use polyester fabric coated in polyurethane – the challenge with this is that if the belt is damaged the fabric can become a contaminant.
“The monolithic belt can offer a good solution in applications where hygiene is vital and where there is the potential for belt damage during regular operation,” continues Jeremy.
“However, they do have limitations
and are not suited to use in all confectionery applications. Most confectionery products will, at some point on their journey around the factory, need to come way easily from the belt to move on to another process – this is usually done by asking the belt to go around a sharp bend to effectively peel the belt from the product. This is achieved using small pulleys or knife edges – yet this this is hard to achieve with a monolithic belt.”
KennedysConfection.com
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