Steel belts and hygienic process technologies

Sandvik Process Systems, the world’s largest supplier of steel belts and associated processing technology to the food industry, will highlight the extraordinary range of applications that exists across the food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and packaging industries for its systems.

The company’s core products are engineered stainless or carbon steel belts, used extensively across the food industry where hygiene and ease of cleaning are critical. Applications range from simple conveying systems, where durability and cleanliness are key – to operations where the thermal properties of a steel belt – the ability to conduct heat and operate in extreme temperatures – are also important, such as freezing, cooling, drying, cooking or baking.

Products successfully handled, transported or processed on Sandvik’s steel belts include

• chocolate,
• coffee,
• cookies,
• confectionery,
• fruit,
• meat,
• shellfish,
• tobacco
• vegetables.

The company is also keen to explore other possibilities with potential customers and will be highlighting the generic benefits of steel belt processing with a new, fully operational ‘clean conveyor’ design.

“We’re aiming to inspire people into thinking laterally,” explains Global Business Development Manager Staffan Karlsson. “We want them to look at their processes and challenge us to show them how they could be doing better on a Sandvik steel belt.”

GMP-compliant pastillation

Steel belts are also at the heart of Sandvik’s hygienic process technologies, such as coffee freezing lines, drying systems for filter membranes used in brewing, and the company’s flagship pastillation system, Rotoform.

Rotoform has been the default solution for solidifying a whole range of food and chemical products from chocolate to resins and waxes, and more than 1700 units have been installed. The process is fast and efficient, enabling products and ingredients to be converted into consistently sized pastilles for easy handling, metering, mixing and subsequent reprocessing. The use of indirect cooling means there is no risk on contamination of the end product.

The system is widely used for the production of ingredients used in cosmetics, personal hygiene products and pharmaceuticals. The latest model, the Rotoform 4G is suitable for GMP-compliant production.

Film & foil packaging wrap

Another area in which Sandvik has particular expertise is in the manufacture of seamless steel belts with a ‘super-mirror polished’ surface. These are used for casting materials such as high-gloss foils and films for packaging, filter membranes for medical use, and substrate films for use on digital cameras, mobile phones and notebooks.