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Proper maintenance and cleaning of conveyor belts are crucial to prevent operational disruptions, profit loss, and productivity setbacks. Regular inspections help identify issues early on, minimizing downtime and repair expenses. In the food processing industry, maintaining cleanliness is vital to ensure belt hygiene and prevent potential health hazards for workers and consumers. However, certain belts may pose cleaning challenges, necessitating the use of appropriate solvents and techniques to meet sanitation standards.
Common Conveyor Belt Problems
Following proper conveyor belt maintenance guidelines and routinely cleaning belts can help you avoid these common conveyor belt problems.
Material Carryback
As the name implies, material carryback is when the material on the conveyor belt is not discharged and gets carried back on the return. It can cause significant damage to other conveyor components and contribute to the contamination of new product.
The most common reasons for material carryback include:
- Poor quality or improperly installed scrapers
- Inappropriate scraper type and size
- Poor sanitation methods
Belt Mistracking
Belt misalignment is a common issue that occurs when a conveyor belt deviates from its intended track, causing it to pull to one side. Belt mistracking can damage other system components and the belt and cause potential material spillage.
Common causes of belt mistracking include:
- Material overload on the belt
- Locked rollers or misaligned idlers or locked rollers
- Faulty chute structure skirting
- Crooked or worn belt splices
Belt Slippage
Conveyor belts require precise tension because too much or too little can cause the belt to slip off the pulleys. This is referred to as belt slippage and it can cause belt or motor damage. Therefore, it’s important to set the conveyor belt’s tension to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Belt slippage is often caused by:
- Improperly installed head drive pulley or worn lagging
- Material overload on the belt
- Damaged tail pulleys or wing
Conveyor Belt Maintenance Checklist
While conveyor belt maintenance varies based on specific facility’s and manufacturer’s guidelines, below is a general overview of what most conveyor belt maintenance checklists include.
- Start and end the day by routinely cleaning the conveyor belt to ensure no components interfere with the belt’s function.
- Physically inspect conveyor drive components for any debris.
- Inspect the conveyor belt’s entire surface for wear that could cause potential issues.
- Check for damaged or broken parts.
- Check rollers for any structural or motor damage and debris buildup.
- Check conveyor belts for proper alignment.
- Check the conveyor belt and joints for unusual peeling or damage.
- Check machine guard placement on belts, pulleys, sprockets, and other pinch points.
- Ensure all emergency stops are functioning properly.
Electro-Steam Products
Modular Conveyor Belt Cleaning System
Electro-Steam’s Robotic Jet System is an automatic, safe cleaning solution for all modular conveyor belt systems. Our system uses dry vapor steam to quickly and effectively clean conveyors, making the traditional labor-intensive task easier and hands-free. The Robotic Jet System delivers pulsating dry vapor steam and uses a powerful 8″ spinner spinning at 1250 rpm, a standard feature on all our Robotic Jet Systems.
The steam cleaning technique prevents water from puddling on your facility’s floor and soiled wastewater from standard cleaning methods running to your drain. With a minimal water usage of just a few ounces per minute, the water evaporates before reaching the floor, resulting in a pile of damp soil from the conveyor cleaning process. Our Robotic Jet System is an effective, efficient, and chemical-free modular conveyor belt cleaning system that streamlines the cleaning process.
Each of our Robotic Jet Systems is fully customized for an optimal cleaning solution based on the type of carryback and soil for your application. Our powerful dry vapor steam system can handle many contaminants, including:
- Fats and oils
- Allergens
- Over-spray
- Bacteria
- Glazes
- Confectionaries
Eagle Series Brushless Conveyor Belt Cleaning System
Electro-Steam’s Eagle Series Brushless Conveyor Belt Cleaning System meets the sanitization and cleaning needs of a wide range of conveyor belt systems. The steam cleaning technology produces steam vapor that breaks down the accumulated material and sanitizes conveyor belts without requiring harsh chemicals. Then, a vacuum removes the collected material and dries the belt surface for an automated belt-cleaning solution.
Our Eagle Series brushless conveyor cleaning system effectively cleans flat, nonporous conveyor belts used in the food and baking industries without the hassle and water waste from traditional conveyor belt cleaning options. The system meets or exceeds all regulatory food safety requirements.
Benefits of using our brushless conveyor cleaning system include:
- Safe and easy to use
- FDA-approved materials
- 95-99% Water Savings
- Cleans and sanitizes with NO Chemicals
- Hands-free cleaning without stopping production for less downtime
- Reduces labor expense
- Cleans all sizes and types of plastic and vinyl conveyor belts
Industrial Conveyor Belt Cleaning Solutions from Electro-Steam
Ensure uninterrupted operations and prolong the lifespan of your conveyor belts with Electro-Steam’s customized maintenance and cleaning systems. Our Jet System Modular Conveyor Belt Cleaning System and Eagle Series Brushless Conveyor Belt Cleaning System are designed to meet the unique needs of modular and flat belt systems, effectively removing carryback and sanitizing surfaces. Trust our powerful solutions to exceed industry standards. Contact us today for tailored conveyor belt cleaning solutions.
