The food industry is under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, which is unsurprising. For many years, the industry has been tirelessly working to ensure the seamless transportation of products throughout the entire production process.
Thankfully, manufacturers have a crucial tool that enhances the whole process: conveyors. These versatile systems have revolutionised food handling, processing and packaging.
Conveyors are extensively used across various companies, from small-scale operations to large industrial facilities. Here are some examples of food businesses that commonly utilise them:
Conveyors are prevalent in processing plants where raw ingredients are transformed into packaged products. These facilities handle fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, poultry, seafood, dairy and bakery products. Conveyors are crucial in efficiently moving ingredients through different processing stages, including sorting, washing, cutting, cooking and packaging.
Snack production facilities utilise conveyors for the efficient handling and processing of chips, crackers, pretzels, popcorn and other items. They move raw materials through the frying, seasoning, cooling and packaging stages.
They are integral to beverage production, including soft drinks, juices, bottled water and alcoholic beverages. Conveyors transport bottles, cans and containers through filling lines, labelling stations, capping machines and packaging areas. They ensure a smooth flow of containers, optimising production efficiency and facilitating the rapid packaging of beverages.
Bakeries and confectionery businessess heavily rely on conveyors to handle various products like bread, pastries, cookies, chocolates and candies. They transport dough, baked goods and confectionery items through ovens, cooling tunnels, icing stations and packaging areas. These systems aid in maintaining product integrity, precise timing and proper cooling processes.
Conveyors play a vital role in the frozen food industry, where products like frozen vegetables, fruits, prepared meals and ice cream are manufactured. They carry items through freezing tunnels, blast freezers and packaging lines, maintaining low temperatures and ensuring proper freezing and storage conditions.
They transport carcasses, cuts and processed meat through various stages, including trimming, deboning, marinating, cooking, chilling and packaging. Conveyors aid in maintaining hygiene standards and reducing manual handling in this industry.
Conveyors handle milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter. They transport containers, bottles and packages through filling machines, pasteurisers, cooling chambers and packaging lines.
These examples represent just a fraction of the businesses that utilise conveyors. In reality, these systems are extensively employed across the entire spectrum of food manufacturing, including prepared meals, sauces, condiments, canned goods and many other products.
These material handling systems offer numerous advantages that greatly aid the food industry.
First and foremost, they are built with materials that comply with hygiene standards and can be easily cleaned. They feature smooth surfaces, minimal crevices, and are often made of stainless steel, which is resistant to corrosion and easy to sanitise. This promotes food safety by reducing the risk of contamination and maintaining high cleanliness standards.
Additionally, they are designed to handle delicate products with care. Conveyors provide gentle and consistent movement, minimising product damage or breakage during transportation.
Moreover, these mechanisms automate food movement, replacing manual handling, reducing labour requirements, and improving operational efficiency. The equipment can be integrated with other processing and packaging equipment, creating a seamless flow of products and optimising production lines.
Another advantage is their capability to maintain quality control. Conveyors are equipped with sensors and tracking systems to monitor food movement throughout production and distribution, allowing quicker identification of potential issues.
Here are some commonly used conveyors:
Belt conveyors consist of a continuous belt that moves materials from one point to another. They are versatile and widely used for transporting bulk food products such as grains, fruits, vegetables and packaged goods. Belt conveyors can be equipped with features like sidewalls and cleats to prevent product spillage and ensure stability during inclines or declines.
Screw conveyors use a rotating helical screw blade to move materials along a tube or trough. These conveyors are suitable for handling fine powders, granules and semi-solid items. In the food industry, screw conveyors are often used for moving ingredients such as flour, sugar, spices or wet materials like slurry or pastes.
Vibratory conveyors use vibrations to transport materials. They are commonly used to handle fruits, vegetables, nuts and fragile snacks gently.
Roller conveyors use a series of rollers to move materials. They are ideal for transporting crates, boxes and pallets. Roller conveyors can be gravity-driven or powered and are often employed in warehouses, distribution centres and packaging areas.
Pneumatic conveyors use air pressure to move materials through a pipeline system. They are suitable for handling powdered or granular products like flour, sugar, coffee or spices. Pneumatic conveyors offer advantages such as gentle handling, flexibility in routing and the ability to transport items over long distances.
Spiral conveyors are designed in a helical shape, allowing materials to be transported vertically or inclined. They save valuable floor space and are commonly used to lift or lower packaged goods, cans, bottles or frozen items.
Joloda Conveyor Services specialises in providing efficient and safe conveyor solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of its clients in the food industry.
Our expertise lies in designing, installing and maintaining conveyor systems that optimise productivity, reduce labour costs and ensure the safe transportation of various products.
Since our inception, we have worked with some of the industry's biggest names. For example, we have partnered with McPhersons, the largest whisky transporter in the UK, for over 20 years. With more than 50 dedicated conveyor systems, we have helped them move barrels from maturation sites to warehouses seamlessly.
Additionally, we have collaborated with Britvic, an exceptional soft drink producer, for over two decades. Our conveyors have significantly reduced their lorry loading time by 90%.
Heinz, a renowned brand, also trusted our expertise to improve efficiency and streamline loading processes. Our team successfully installed a reliable conveyor system capable of handling their diverse range of products, ensuring fast and efficient transportation.
Let us streamline your processes and help you succeed in the dynamic food industry. Contact our team now to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards maximising your operational potential.
We are a unique service provider, focused 100% on repairs, maintenance and refurbishment of conveyor systems. Our team of conveyor carers are experts because they are not distracted by lots of additional bolt-on services; when your equipment needs attention, we’ll carry out conveyor troubleshooting and fix the problem to get you back operational as quickly as possible.
Learn more About Us and how we can help to keep your, and the UK's conveyors rolling, by preventing and fixing common conveyor belt problems.
Minimise your organisation’s conveyor belt problems by calling on us for maintenance. In addition to having more than 100 qualified, fully accredited mechanical and electrical engineers on standby to assist you with repairs whenever you need them, we provide comprehensive conveyor care to aid the ongoing performance of your equipment.
With our conveyor support, you can tackle conveyor belt problems head-on, minimise any potential disruption to your operations, and replace conveyor parts as soon as necessary.
Learn more about our conveyor services or start a conversation on our Let's Chat page to solve all your common conveyor problems, today.
