Snacks
Snacks are relatively stable in terms of hygiene as most are marketed in small hermetically packed bags after baking, drying, or frying. The processing factories are often similar in part to vegetable processors or bakeries, but the abundance of oil and varied seasonings makes the workplace more complicated to clean. The product is also often fragile and abrasive in nature, especially when salted. Volta has excellent solutions for this industry and the belts handle product gently and provide extended belt life on salting and seasoning lines.
Baked snack longevity
Europe’s largest producer of baked savory snacks has used Volta for over 20 years. A post-seasoning conveyor was plagued with abrasion caused by salt which deposited miniscule plastic fragments from the belt into the product and wore the modular joints out in just over two years. A Volta 4mm positive drive belt was fitted in 2001 and gave over 13 years of consistent hygienic service. Similar belts were then installed on all the elevators used on multi-head weigher lines.
Fried snacks change over
The snack food market is a global market. The main consumers reside in Europe and North America. Trends suggest a growing market in Asia with an increase in demand for healthy versions. Recipes vary and oil types are scrutinized. Production practices per facility are as well. Volta’s fabrication capabilities replaced modular belts with a central belt hold down over the transition from horizontal to vertical utilizing a 900mm wide single cleat design. This eliminated both an unhygienic dirt trap, simplified maintenance and cleaning, and prevented hazardous oil seepage onto the work floor.
Rice snack conveyor belt conversion
An Asian customer was happy to work with an established Volta distributor and fabricator to convert most of the production floor to hygienic belting. The belts were designed to give optimal performance with specially finished cleats and clean conveyor design. It is rare to find identical requirements from even two conveyors and over 20 belts in this facility were made to specific design requirements and exacting standards of performance.
Fruit and nut mix snacks
Fruit and Nut mixes are increasingly popular as a healthy alternative to other snacks. The sourcing of the varied products that go into mixes creates several problems for companies packaging and selling these products which ultimately do not have full control over quality. A Volta customer overcomes this by sterilizing all material in a clean room. The equipment is commissioned to the highest standards of Hygienic Design. This minimizes the time spent in the room by cleaning staff and reduces the impact of outside agents in the room. Volta belts have been selected as the only compatible option in this environment.
