Hygiene is the primary factor when it comes to the food industry. In manufacturing and production food or “ingredients” travel through various stages on a conveyor belt. Maintaining hygiene is crucial to preventing contamination, and ensuring food safety. It also helps to comply with regulations, uphold consumer trust, and safeguard public health.
While the food industry is not without its hygienic conveyor problems, there are ways you can maintain hygiene standards. There are a few bottlenecks that this industry faces. All they need to do is follow their solutions.
So, let’s see what they are.
What are the Common Hygienic Conveyor Belt Problems
The conveyors used in food industry have metal components. That is why they are susceptible to wear and tear and damage like any other mechanical device. Over time.
The conveyor part belts become worn and it can directly impact operations. Unplanned or emergency maintenance can result in significant downtime, likely in your organisation failing to meet its output targets.
Without the necessary intervention, there can be a rise in multiple hygienic conveyor problems. Like so:
1. Conveyor Belt Damage
Belt damage is one of the most common issues of the conveyor belt. While it can handle bulk materials and simplify their movement, it can become damaged over time. This can happen due to:
Causes of Belt Damages
- Handling or transporting large, excessive or abrasive materials is the leading cause of conveyor belt damage.
- The carryback of any conveyor in food industry list results in significant damage.
- Excessive carryback causes the belt to wear out much faster and puts unnecessary stress on vital components like conveyor systems rollers and idlers.
How to Prevent Belt Damage
It is important to be essential with your conveyor belt system, especially when reducing short and long-term damage. Your conveyor belt system should be fit for purpose and equipped with a belt of the appropriate grade for application.
If the cause of your conveyor problems is due to large or excessive materials, you can install impact beds to be installed under the conveyor belt. The impact zones absorb and transfer the weight of transported materials.
2. Conveyor Blockages
The productivity of the hygienic conveyor system depends on the belt being free of any excess material. Blockages can bring all kinds of operations to a halt. This may happen specifically if the blockages like dirt or debris build up over time. This happens to be one of the most common problems with conveyors but is also easy to fix.
Causes of Conveyor Blockages
When the material is travelling efficiently across the belt, it paves the way for conveyor blockages. Materials can become caught in sharp edges, and change directions to go across the corroded surfaces to cause build-ups that eventually result in blockages, clogging, jams and production loss.
How to Prevent Conveyor Blockages
Most hygienic conveyor blockages are hard to predict. However, with the right maintenance and inspection, you can spot the sharp edges, corroded surfaces and corners that could snag materials leading to blockages. Therefore, regular maintenance is necessary.
3. Conveyor Mistracking
Your conveyor belt needs to be in the correct alignment to keep the materials your conveyor belt systems need to have correct alignment. This keeps the material you are exporting on the right path. Without management and realignment, your systems can fall victim to mistracking your conveyor problems.
Causes of Mistracking
Mistracking is not just the cause of poor or irregular alignment. A problem arising at any point along the track can lead to the belt slipping more to one side than the other. This affects the tracking of your entire system leading to uneven welt bear, malfunctioning and eventually complete shutdown.
How to Prevent Mistracking
Always be on your guard for the tell-tale signs of the hygienic conveyor mistracking to prevent problems. A frayed belt edge is a primary indicator of this issue. Other than that:
- Mistracking can also be the first sign that something isn’t quite right with a specific component.
- The misguided belt could be a result of a crooked or slanted conveyor frame for instance. Mistracking conveyor belt problems occur due to a lack of tension that could point to incorrectly aligned snub rollers too.
By making conveyor belt troubleshooting a part of the maintenance routine, manufacturers can spot mistracking. They can remedy the underlying cause before it is too late to fix it.
4. Material Carry-Back
This is a type of blockage that occurs on the conveyor belt itself. Let’s see more about it in detail.
Causes of Material Carry-Back
Materials that leave behind even the smallest amount of residue can cause carry-back problems. This residue will increase and build up over time. This puts excess pressure on the belt and the rollers and pulleys that move with it.
Like many common defects with conveyor belts, material carry-back can increase the fire risk. You should prevent the material carry-back to safeguard your equipment.
How to Prevent Material Carry-Back
- Follow a rigorous cleaning regime
- Use automated cleaning systems
- It reduces dangerous and damaging carry-back by scrapping the belt clean as it goes.
Let’s look at a few other options for food-grade conveyors.
5. Seized Rollers
The rollers on the food industry conveyor systems have some of the toughest materials. One popular material that is present in these rollers is steel. However, this does not stop these hygienic conveyors from having common problems.
Causes of Seized Rollers
Thankfully due to their construction, rollers are durable components that are built to last. But when wear and tear begins to take its toll, rollers can seize up and develop sharp edges that directly damage the belt.
This roller conveyor problem can also lead to mistracking. It poses a potential safety risk to your staff and even damages the materials you transport.
How to Prevent Seized Rollers
A conveyor cleaning and maintenance roller problem is easily preventable. All it needs is regular conveyor maintenance. With this manufacturers can avoid malfunction and increase productivity.
While all these are difficult challenges for the industry, it does not mean that they cannot overcome them. When it comes to maintaining a hygienic conveyor the one thing that they need to keep in mind is the frequency of their maintenance checks.
Frequency of Cleaning
The frequency needed for cleaning a food processing conveyor belt depends on several factors. One of the things to keep in mind is how much soil accumulates on the belt.
If the belt soil builds up quickly, more frequent cleaning is necessary to minimise the risk of contamination to other items. Another critical consideration is the type of food it transports. Sticky foods, for instance, tend to accumulate more quickly than dry ones. This makes them more prone to contamination and requires more frequent cleaning.
FAQs: Hygienic Conveyor: Sanitising Challenges in the Food Industry
What type of conveyor belt does the food industry use?
The widely used option is the food-grade PVC conveyor belt. The material of the frame is that of stainless steel. It helps to promote the improvement of sanitary conditions, reduce the pollution of food, and meet the hygiene requirements of the food industry.
How to clean food processing conveyor belts?
The best way to clean a converter belt is by using steam cleaning, hot water and sanitising solutions. It is necessary to carry out frequent cleaning to ensure a high level of food safety.
How to prevent conveyor belt damage?
To prevent conveyor belt damage, regularly inspect for wear and tear, maintain proper tension, avoid overloading, and promptly address spills or debris. Train staff on safe operation, implement protective measures like guards and follow manufacturer guidelines for maintenance.
What to look for in a hygienic conveyor design?
A conveyor that prioritises hygiene always has a smooth surface. They have minimal crevices and easy disassembly that help in cleaning. Also, their materials are corrosion-resistant and bacteria-proof. They also have compatibility with cleaning agents. Lastly, they adhere to the food safety regulations and industry standards.
Conclusion
To prevent contamination at the earliest stages of food production by resolving hygienic conveyor problems. In this way, not only will manufacturers ensure food safety but also comply with the governmental and food safety standards.
By prioritising maintenance checks and implementing preventive measures, the food industry can overcome multiple bottlenecks in its supply chains. Follow Qodenext for more tips on streamlining supply chain issues.
