All throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, industries have been working hard to keep supply lines steady and ensure the Canadian public continues to have access to key products. One such key industry is the food and beverage industry. Norpak Handling supplies conveyor solutions to various food and beverage businesses to ensure their manufacturing, distribution, and packaging operations continue to perform optimally.
When it comes to conveyor solutions for food and beverage, there are a number of key considerations to keep in mind that make this industry’s needs differ from those of a generic industrial manufacturer. These include:
- Handling fragile items such as fruits or wine bottles
- Handling perishable items
- Handling oddly-shaped packages
- Handling mass quantities
- Sanitization and hygiene
- Integration with other processes or machinery such as cold storage facilities, ovens, and more.
Conveyor solutions are needed for transportation, preparation, packaging, storing, sorting, and distribution operations. The right conveyor systems and accessories can significantly affect a manufacturer’s ability to meet customer expectations for quality and packaging and lower costs in terms of maintenance needs, managing and reducing waste and product damage, and more.
The Right Conveyor Solutions for Food and Beverage
When it comes to choosing the right conveyor solution for your applications, you will need to first fully assess your company’s processes and needs. Consulting with the experts at Norpak Handling will help you understand which materials and configurations to go for.
For instance, stainless steel or composite type constructed conveyors are usually preferred in scenarios where cleaning or other sanitization processes have to take place, or in the conveying of pre-packaged products. On the other hand, packaged products can be safely conveyed with mild painted steel-constructed conveyors.
The shape, size, and surface type of the products being conveyed will also play a role in choosing the right conveyor system. Products that are bagged, lightweight, or have irregular shapes should be conveyed using a belt conveyor as this will offer more support. Most beverage products, on the other hand, will be more suited for live roller conveyors. Close roller-centred live roller conveyors or 24-volt conveyors with close roller centers offer zero-pressure accumulation and will be more suited to support glass bottles. If spillage is a concern, low-voltage conveyors may be the option for you as they have a more open design and do not utilize flat belts, which may distribute spillage.
Certain accessories and conveyor technologies should also be incorporated into your conveyor solution. Decentralized zone drives in your system can help significantly reduce noise and maintenance costs. Conveyors that come with pre-packaged accumulation logic such as Hytrol’s EZLogic® offer additional features such as ‘sleep mode’ which can help to reduce energy consumption by shutting off the conveyor when no product is present.
For sorters, consider narrow belt sorters with angled or perpendicular diverts or pivot wheel diverts for belt conveyors. Sliding shoe sorters are also used in the food and beverage industry when higher sortation rates are required. These sorters may be fitted with tubes instead of aluminum slates to make cleaning easier.
Whatever your specific needs are, you can trust the experts at Norpak Handling to guide you to the right conveyor solutions. With decades of experience and partnerships with renowned manufacturers such as Hytrol, we have been able to provide clients in the food and beverage industry with the best of the best conveying solutions. Contact us today to learn more about our products and services!
