Sandvik Process Systems, the world’s largest supplier of steel belts to the food processing industry, will use a ‘quality baking’ theme at this year’s IBIE bakery trade fair in Las Vegas to highlight the benefits of its solid and perforated steel belt ranges.
The company’s belts have been used for conveying goods through bake ovens for almost 90 years and remain the preferred baking medium for many product types. These include real butter cookies, part-baked bread, granola bars, pizza bases, chocolate brownies and cakes.
Steel belts are available in solid or perforated form to meet different application requirements. In both cases, the excellent thermal properties of the belt deliver efficient baking and a crisp, attractive base, while the hard, smooth surface ensures easy, clean product release.
The exceptional durability of a steel belt means that a working life of 20+ years is certainly not unusual, making the lifetime cost – and overall return on investment – extremely attractive.
Complete belt solutions
While steel belts are Sandvik’s core product, the company will also highlight its ‘complete system’ capabilities, including an innovative new Compact Belt Tracking (CBT) device.
Compatible with virtually any belt edge detector system, the CBT unit manages tracking by tilting the belt using a linear actuator. It is easy to install, self-supporting and available in sizes to suit belt widths from 600mm to 3,000mm. Options include stainless steel construction and a choice of controls, for example simple logical or sophisticated PID.
New cleaning process for enhanced hygiene
One of the other major benefits of a steel belt is ease of cleaning. There are no hidden gaps in which bacteria could collect, and the smooth, hard surface can be cleaned using heat, scrapers, brushes, detergents, chemicals or any combination of these.
Sandvik has launched its own innovative cleaning system, specifically developed to remove the carbon residues – and potentially hazardous acrylamide – that can be found on bake oven belts. The cleaning medium – a combination of sodium bicarbonate and calcium phosphate – is blasted at the belt at high pressure, removing the residue without damaging the steel.
Uncle Jim’s seminars
Sandvik’s bake oven steel belt specialist, Jim Cross, will be sharing his expertise and providing tips and advice on maximising the performance of bake oven belts through a series of seminars to be held throughout the course of the fair. Seminars will be held on the 2nd floor at Sandvik’s stand (#10834) twice a day – mornings and afternoons – and are open to delegates from across the bakery industry.
For more information, please contact Sandvik.
Image: oven belt. Photo: courtesy of Sandvik
