Conveyor Belt Materials

They must be durable, long lasting and resistant to a wide range of temperatures, moisture and chemicals.

There are five main materials that conveyor belts are made out of: thermoplastics, metal, rubber, fabric and leather. Plastics include polyester, polyvinyl chloride, silicone and polyethylene. The metals are stainless and carbon steel, and the fabric materials are canvas or cotton. The most popular material is a rubber composite because it is flexible, resistant, smooth and seamless.

It also doesn’t have any holes or openings. To increase strength, many belt materials contain additives, including fabric, steel, polyester or fiberglass. Many flat belts are actually composed of a core material and a covering. These belts are parts of many different types of conveyors, including troughed, inclined, horizontal, food grade and overhead conveyors, but they are not used in chain, pneumatic or screw conveyors.

Choosing the right belting material is the most important specification involved with conveyor systems because the wrong material could compromise productivity or worker safety.

Conveyor systems, especially those in manufacturing facilities, travel through many different environments. For example, assembly line conveyors may travel through an oven, underwater parts washer or some sort of secondary operation like painting. Therefore, they must be resistant, durable and able to handle these harsh conditions on a continuous and regular basis.

Belts that carry ingredients, raw materials and finished, unpackaged goods in food or beverage processing plants are made of either stainless steel or a heat resistant, non contaminating plastic resin. They must be FDA or USDA approved and easy to clean and sanitize. Materials like some hard plastics or metal lack the flexibility needed to convey, which requires the belt to bend, as they are on a continuous loop around two sets of rollers.

In these situations, small parts are interlocked together or woven in order to bend and twist. However, these tend to have holes or cracks and are not smooth or water tight. They are not made for carrying small or irregularly shaped objects as well as products in bags, which could sag or fall through the cracks.

Cleated Belt Conveyor Installation

If your business regularly moves bulk, lose products and has limited space, you might want to consider adding cleated belt conveyors. These conveyors allow you to keep your product separated as it is conveyed up and down inclines and declines.

At Allstate Conveyor, we have the experts that you need to design and build the perfect cleated belt conveyor system for your company.

A cleated belt conveyor is a conveyor that has a belt that contains carriers or cleats on its surface. The cleats allow products to be separated as they move up inclines and down declines.

There are many different cleat designs that are available, including food-grade cleats for the separation of food products during transportation.

Adding cleated belt conveyors to your product line can help to improve efficiency. They also allow for faster conveying and can be helpful if you have limited space. Cleated belt conveyors can easily handle inclines and declines while keeping your products separated.

durability over other belt materials

load capacity

resistance to wear

resilience in harsh environments

affordable alternative to stainless steel or fiberglass

Cleated belt conveyors are used in industries that transport loose bulk products. They are helpful in keeping the products separated as they are conveyed. They are commonly used in the food industry. They are also used to convey products in recycling plants, for solid waste removal, and others.

Industries that commonly use Cleated belt driven conveyors:

Warehousing & Distribution

Manufacturing

Order Fulfillment

Aerospace

Government Military & Agency

Automotive

Parcel Handling

Allstate Conveyor is made up of professionals who are experts in conveyor systems. We serve a broad range of industries and are familiar with the different needs that each has. When you choose us, we will work closely with you to help you to accomplish your goals. We can design your cleated belt conveyor systems and other conveyors that you need. We can then build them to your specifications and install them for you.

We also offer ongoing maintenance plans and are able to assist you with repairing your existing conveyors. To obtain your free quote or to learn more about the solutions that we can provide to you, contact us by filling out our online contact form. You can also call us to get answers to your questions.

What are the Different Types of Conveyor Belts?

There are many types of conveyor belts out there, but what are they?

According to Carol Francois with WiseGeek:

“There are three different types of conveyor belts: the basic belt, snake sandwich belt and long belt. A basic belt conveyor consists of two or more pulleys that hold one continuous length of material. These types of belts can be motorized or require manual effort. As the belt moves forward, all the items on the belt are carried forward.

“A common installation sites for conveyor belts include packaging or parcel delivery services. This industry often requires a method of relocating materials from one place to another, quickly and with minimal human intervention. The belt is typically installed at waist height to improve the ergonomics for the staff that are interacting with the materials.

“The conveyor structure consists of a metal frame with rollers installed at various intervals along the length of the conveyor belt. The belt is typically a smooth, rubberized material that covers the rollers. As the belt moves over the rollers, the items placed on the belt are transferred with a reduced amount of friction, due to the use of multiple rollers. Basic belt conveyors also have curved sections to allow the belt to move product around corners.