5 Add On Features You Need on Easy to Clean Conveyors
Keeping your food processing conveyors clean is a necessary chore — it’s required to prevent the growth of dangerous bacteria and contamination of your product, but the time spent cleaning can be costly.
Lines need to be shut down, belts need to be removed, frames need to be cleaned, sanitized, and rinsed off. When everything is clean, the conveyor needs to be reassembled — all while product isn’t moving, employees are on the clock, and money is washing down the drain.
Reducing the amount of time required to clean conveyors in your facility could save thousands in downtime, cleaning supplies, and allow your operation to stay active longer.
Such a solution exists: easy to clean conveyors.
The Joy of Easy to Clean Conveyors
Easy to clean conveyors are self-explanatory — they are designed to reduce the amount of time and effort needed during the cleaning process.
Imagine reducing the time it takes to remove a conveyor belt, or built-in options that clean parts of the conveyor without the need for removing the belt at all, or scrapers that remove stuck on product without the need for hand scrubbing.
When you purchase easy to clean conveyors, you reduce the amount of time spent cleaning and the amount of money paid in cleaning labor.
What to Look For in Easy to Clean Conveyors
How do you know if you are purchasing an easy to clean conveyor?
We’ve put together a list of factors that meet sanitary design criteria AND guarantee a conveyor is easy to clean, thus reducing downtime during the sanitation process.
Belt Lifters
Belt Lifters
These rollers attached to an easy to use handle lift the belt away from the conveyor frame, allowing employees to quickly and easily clean the underside of the belt and the interior of the conveyor.
Belt lifters reduce the amount of time spend in removing and replacing the belt in the cleaning process.
Belt Scrapers
Belt Scrapers
Belt scrapers attach to the ends of the conveyor to remove stuck on product from the belt.
This serves two purposes: it keeps unwanted product from moving further down the line and reduces the amount of time required for cleaning the conveyor belt.
Spray Bars
Spray Bars
Spray bars are threaded rods added to the interior of the conveyor for easy cleaning. Simply attach a hose on the end, and spray nozzles pressurize the water and clean the underside of the belt and interior of the conveyor without the need to remove the belt.
Pivoting Carryways
Pivoting Carryways
UHMW carryways are attached to a rod on one end to allow the undersides to be cleaned easily without the risk of the carryway being lost, misplaced, or damaged. By leaving the carryway in the frame and simply lifting one end up, you reduce the time needed to remove and replace the carryways.
Tool-Less Belt Removal
When removing the belt is required or ideal, choose a conveyor with a tool-less belt removal option. This reduces the amount of time needed to search for the correct tool and makes removing the belt quick and easy.
Worth the Investment
Easy to clean conveyors reduce the amount of time required for cleaning, allow you to keep running your line longer, and reduce the cost of labor required for cleaning.
When you take the time to guarantee the conveyor system you purchase meets all sanitary design criteria AND is easy to clean, you increase your return on investment — and get more life out of your conveyor.
Check out the American Meat Institute’s sanitary equipment design principles for more ways to guarantee your conveyor is easy to clean.
