Steel belt

Steel belts are a type of conveyor belt used in many industries such as food, chemical, wood processing, and transportation.^[1]

The ERGO30inox conveyor belt with it's hardware showing

Description

They are generally made from carbon steel or stainless steel. Stainless steel belts are corrosion-resistant and provide excellent surface quality. Stainless steel belts are used primarily in the chemical, food, rubber, plastic, wood, and laminate industries. Carbon steel belts are energy efficient and ideal for applications necessitating radiant heating of products or in high-temperature applications that might exceed the annealing temperatures of stainless steel belts. Also, carbon steel belts can more evenly distribute heat since most stainless steel alloys are comparatively poor heat conductors. Carbon steel belts are used primarily in food processing, transport, and bake ovens. Textured steel is also a commonly used belt material. The main purpose of using textured steel material is for its non-stick capabilities. This works well in the laminate industry.^{[clarification needed]}

Single and double belt systems

There are two main systems with steel belts, the single-belt system and the double-belt system. The single-belt systems tend to be designed for single-sided products in the form of pastilles, flakes, strips, or sheets. ^[2] The double-belt system offers simultaneous processing^{[clarification needed]} of top and bottoms of products. Many applications can benefit from a double-belt conveyor system, including chemical, rubber, laminate, or composite material processing operations.^{[clarification needed]}

Types

Ground

Normally, ground stainless steel belts delivered with surface roughness from Ra 0,4 μm^{[clarification needed]} down to 0,1 μm and with well-rounded edges. Ground steel belts are leveled and straightened to obtain optimal flatness and straightness and can be supplied in open lengths, with the ends prepared for welding on site, or in endless condition with a welded joint.

Perforated

Perforated steel belts enable the drying media, for example hot air, to be transferred 'through' the steel belt, so that the air is in contact with all parts of the product on the belt. Normally, manufacturers offer perforated belts with five standard perforation patterns^{[clarification needed]} which cover most requirements. A broad range of other patterns, with a minimum hole diameter of 0.8 mm (0.03 in.) and different spacing, can be provided to suit specific applications.^{[citation needed]}

Polished

Super-mirror-polished stainless steel belts for the production of different types of thin film and ceramic sheets. The belts are available in thickness from 0.60 to 2.00 mm (0.02362 to 0.0787 in.) with thickness variation less than or equal to 80 μm. Polished steel belts are delivered endless or as open-length belts.^{[citation needed]}

Seamless

Seamless steel belts are suitable for the production of high-quality plastic foils and films such as optical film and packaging film. Thickness normally ranges from 0.03 to 0.60 mm (0.012 to 0.23 inch). Seamless steel belts are suitable for machines with narrow drum diameters using wide belts.^{[citation needed]}

Solid

Solid stainless steel belts are, as standard, delivered in cold-rolled condition with a mill finish of Ra < 0,4 μm and have well-rounded edges. Carbon steel belts are, as standard, delivered in a hardened and tempered condition with a mill finish of Ra < 0,4 μm and have well-rounded edges. Solid steel belts are leveled and straightened to obtain optimal flatness and straightness and are supplied in open lengths, with the ends prepared for welding on site, or in endless condition with a welded joint.^{[citation needed]}

Material

The material is a special grade for carbon or stainless steel specifically designed for use as a steel belt, with the material specially alloyed or treated to have improved properties such ductility, strength, thermal conductivity etc. depending on the application.^{[citation needed]}

Sizes

Steel belts are available in a range of sizes ranging typically from 400 mm wide x 0.6 mm thick to around 3,000 mm wide x 3.0 mm thick. There are special applications that may use belts of narrower and thinner or wider and thicker size, but these are not common. The length of the belts are typically in the range 10 m to 100 m long, however it is theoretically possible to produce a belt of unlimited length by joining of shorter belts sections. ^[3]

Usage

Food industry

Usually steel belts used in food industry are hygienic, easy to clean, reliable and versatile in use. They are used for various application include cooking, steaming and drying of meat and vegetables, freeze drying of instant coffee, casting caramel and candy, forming of chocolate droplets, and many more.

Chemical industry

In this sector, continuous stainless steel belts are an integral part of continuous production processes. Unlike conveyor belts used purely for transportation purposes, steel belts used in this industry serve as media for transferring heat and/or pressure. Applications for steel belts in the chemical industry include casting, polymerizing of resins, waxes, paraffins and many other substances.

Transportation

Steel belts may be used to move the finished product or raw material or in parcel sorting systems, transporting of bottles, bulk loads, bricks, machinery parts and the like. Straight tracking, high abrasion resistance, and dynamic fatigue strength are crucial when transporting bulky material or unit load. Extremely high operating speeds cause a high number of load cycles and create severe operating conditions. Steel belts can be made to suit these extreme requirements.

Wood processing

Steel belts play an essential role in modern, continuous production processes for wood based panels (WBP) such as particle boards, OSB- and MDF boards, where they serve as heat and pressure transfer media at the same time. As the steel belt surface has a direct influence on the final panel surface quality, this application imposes high demands on steel belts regarding thickness uniformity and surface finish.

Advantages and disadvantages

Cost

Compared to other materials like a plastic belt, the steel belt is more expensive. However, the steel belt has an advantage overall because the steel belt is not a petroleum-based material. The steel belt production price per linear foot is less expensive compared to a plastic belt.^[4] Furthermore, the Steel Belt has a low cost of process compared to the plastic belt.^{[clarification needed]}

Durability

Steel belts can withstand sustained exposure to extremes of temperature, hostile environments, and vacuum. Many are engineered to withstand permanent stresses such as bending, and the heating and cooling process. A variety of alloys may be used, each with its own resistance to chemicals, humidity, and corrosion. Engineers generally select a belt material based on physical properties, availability, and cost.

Maintenance

Usually, the steel belt's maintenance on steel belt conveyor system. The steel belt conveyor system including the resolving of belt tracking problems, changing of spares and consumables.^{[clarification needed]}

Ease of repair

Normally, a steel belt will deform over time.^{[clarification needed]} The steel belt's curvature can be flattened by various methods. Most familiar and superior solution for the steel belt's cross curvature^{[clarification needed]} is shot peening, which can offer a quick, onsite, cost-effective method of flattening out deformed steel belts without interrupting production.

References

^ "Avoid those sticky situations when freezing baked goods | Baking Business".
^ "Steel belt cooler".
^ "Reel dimensions".
^ "Metal vs Plastic Belts". I.J. White Systems. Retrieved 2022-07-20.

[1] "Avoid those sticky situations when freezing baked goods | Baking Business".

[2] "Steel belt cooler".

[3] "Reel dimensions".

[4] "Metal vs Plastic Belts". I.J. White Systems. Retrieved 2022-07-20.

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