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When shopping for conveyor systems, Cliff Albertson, GM/COO, Huisken Meat Co., Sauk Rapids, Minn., says features desired and concerns about conveyors vary depending on where the system will be located and what use it will serve – particularly, will it involve product contact or not? Key considerations his company takes into account are speed and durability of the system; clean-in-place capability; reliability; history of the supplier; environmental concerns for materials used…that is, will the conveyor be used in a 50°F or a -20°F environment or variable; wet or dry; worker safety features; potential pinch points; need for a bearing-free design so bearing lubricants aren’t needed; a maintenance history of similar equipment; and industry references.
“If possible, we like to observe a similar system in use somewhere so we can examine wear patterns, and we particularly look for potential for foreign object contamination,” Albertson says.
Technology trends, challenges
One major change from a conveying standpoint is the focus on sanitary design for ease of cleaning to eliminate pathogens and allergens, says Jamie Card, marketing specialist, Wire Belt Company of America, Londonderry, NH. “As a result, proper cleaning and sanitation of conveying equipment is becoming more of a concern in the industry,” she adds. “Processors are facing a lot of issues concerning sanitary designs of conveyor systems. Conveyor systems need to be cleanable down to the microbiological level, and accessible for inspections and cleaning. The construction of conveyor systems needs to be open, with minimal hidden spaces or places for bacteria to harbor.”
Other features customers want include; proper guards, minimized chances of catch points and potential for an accident; and metal detectable, as the liability is too large for foreign objects or inclusions to end up in the product, Card says.
Enforcing standard operating procedures is a major challenge that red meat and poultry customers face. Increased pressures for sanitary designs continue to be top priority and require customers to enforce inspection procedures. Processors want to eliminate potential for recalls and the extremely costly effects they could cause, she adds.
Another challenge her customers face is employee turnaround. And maintenance is under extremely high pressure to get all lines up and running to minimize and eliminate downtime.
“This fast-paced environment is ‘high stress’ for many employees and they have trouble balancing what’s really needed for repairs with what will quickly get the line running – ultimately sacrificing the integrity of the conveying system,” Card continues. “In many cases there’s no time for maintenance to thoroughly examine the equipment and make proper adjustments in a short period of time. Many plants do not have the adequate support and knowledge necessary for maintaining conveying systems.”
Miscommunication between maintenance and sanitation teams is another challenge. In order to ensure the proper maintenance of the equipment among all the shifts and departments, there needs to be a level of commitment by each area to work together, Card says. “Often times, the sanitation teams do not have the same investment into the equipment as do the maintenance teams who work with them regularly,” she adds. “There’s a lack of knowledge about what needs to be done and how to eliminate damage to the conveying systems.”
What’s new?
Wire Belt’s Flex-Turn 300 Series of conveyors are made of stainless steel and have an open structure. “The open construction of our conveyors maximizes product exposure and allows for easy removal of debris on washing and draining operations.” “The Flex-Turn series offers unparalleled visual access of the conveyor structure for inspection and cleaning.”
The future
In the past few years, there have been a number of technical advancements in conveyor technologies. “Here at Wire Belt, we’re very focused on the clean-ability,” Card says. “But, we’re also focused on key elements of processing, such as product orientation, product placement and improved production throughput. The conveyors we design now are more focused on adding value to a product as it flows through a process rather than just moving a product from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. While that trend is becoming more prevalent in the food-processing business today, Wire Belt has been focused on the value proposition for decades.”
There will continue to be a huge focus on sanitary design and the ease of cleaning conveyor systems, she adds. “The challenge for suppliers will be to focus on innovation and provide red meat and poultry customers with the most efficient and hygienic solution for conveying systems,” she concludes.
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Issue 1, 2009