Product category:
Conveying, handling and end-of-line equipment
News Release from: Belt Technologies Europe | Subject: Steel belts
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 20 December 2005
Steel Belts' Advantages Point To Greater
Use
Steel belts provide many advantages beyond the scope of regular rubber belts, link and chain belts.
Steel belts provide many advantages beyond the scope of regular rubber belts, link and chain belts Made of high-modulus spring steels, they are strong, light and essentially non-stretchable, according to Belt Technologies
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 24 Dec 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Steel belts are strong and non-stretchable
Steel belts provide many advantages beyond the scope of regular rubber belts, link and chain belts.
Made of high-modulus spring steels, they are strong, light and essentially non-stretchable.
Steel belts avoid potential bug contamination
Wider use of easily cleanable steel belts avoids potential breeding of micro-organisms and the spreading of pathogenic micro-organisms by machinery says a conveyor belt manufacturer.
A key requirement in certain packaging fields is cleanliness and in this area stainless steel belts are unsurpassable, said the company.
Clean room compatible, they are claimed to be easy to clean and can stand up to the most aggressive cleaning agents.
Steel belts also do not generate particulate, thus avoiding any potential contamination problems.
Further reading
Unstretchable Steel Belts Direct To The Door
A steel belt system based on an aluminium or stainless steel machine frame and complete with motion control, tracking, and tensioning components is available from Belt Technologies.
High Strength Durable Belts On Show At Ipack-IMA
Belt Technologies Europe, the supplier of precision steel belts, drive tapes and complementary pulleys is underlining the benefits of its product range at Ipack-IMA 2006.
Steel belt ensures pouch-location accuracy
A machine that adds a cap while forming the pouch - and then fills the pouch through the cap - has an integrated steel belt system to provide accurate positioning.
Furthermore, there is no need for belt lubrication as steel belts run smoothly and quietly.
Current applications in packaging are numerous and include aseptic lines for PET plastic bottle manufacture and conveying.
Further to that, due to their cleanliness and repeatability, perforated steel belts perform a valuable role in the beverage industry.
Very tight pitch to pitch tolerances can be offered by perforating the belts with advanced proprietary tool technologies, said Belt Technologies.
Steel belts can be coated with various grades of Teflon to provide a heat resistant surface with excellent release characteristics, added the company.
The sealing of plastic bags and tubes, such as those containing toothpaste for instance, by using steel belts, is now very widely spread.
Other coating options include silicone, urethane and neoprene.
The printing and application of labels to cylindrical containers requires precision and repeatability, in which steel belts play a vital role.
According to the company, they will repeat back to the same spot with an accuracy of 0.05mm - 0.127mm, making them suitable for certain pick and place applications.
Custom perforating of steel belts to match an application's exact requirements is helpful in vacuum transfer of products in certain packaging applications.
Use of steel belts in the packaging of pharmaceutical products has increased dramatically, in Belt Technologies' experience.
The belts' sterile properties and accuracy enable manufacturers to build custom-designed machinery for voluminous production and filling of medical vials at high speed.
High speed wrapping in the confectionary industry takes advantage of the durability and high strength to weight ratio steel belts offer.
The high temperature resistance of steel belts of up to a claimed 420 degrees C can provide precise, controllable and thorough cooking of food on the belt in the packaging line.
The addition of precisely located attachments on steel belts - welded, screwed or riveted to the belt - offer many other opportunities in packaging applications.
Increasingly, designers and engineers worldwide utilise the advantages of steel belt technology in resolving problems with applications that are encountered with other types of belts, said Belt Technologies.
Most belts are designed to match customers' exact requirements and can provide cost effective options that can increase productivity by introducing efficiencies in to particular applications.
As more demanding applications are developed, the frequent use of such a range of products will increase, believes the company.
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