This article contains everything you will need to know about metal conveyor belts and their use.
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A metal conveyor belt is a conveyor belt that uses metal in the form of flat sheets or woven wire mesh as its belt surface. The use of a metal surface enhances the ability of a conveyor to handle parts and components that may be heavy, sharp, slippery, or may shift. The forms of metals used to produce metal conveyor belts include plate, woven, and wire, which are made of strong durable materials capable of withstanding the stress of transporting large heavy items. A common use of metal conveyor belts is in extreme environments where other types of conveyor belts, such as fabric or plastic, deteriorate.
The basic operation of a metal conveyor belt is similar to all forms of belt conveyors with the material of the belt being their distinguishing characteristic. In addition to having a unique belt, metal conveyor belts are designed to handle materials that are outside the range of roller conveyors, plastic conveyor belts, and fabric conveyor belts, items that could severely damage typical conveying systems.
Certain industries require the use of metal conveyor belts due to the nature of the materials they handle. Scrap yards depend on metal conveyor belts to move metal fragments to feed furnaces. In die casting, forging, and stamping, metal conveyor belts are a necessity for handling forgings, molds, various metals, and other forms of materials and equipment that are part of metal forming processes.
Metal conveyor belts are categorized by the metals used to manufacture them, which lend to their strength, determine their capacity, and add to their durability. Another factor that separates various metal conveyor belts is their design, a factor that covers several aspects of metal conveyor belts from the type of belt to the power that drives the belt.
Metal slat conveyor belts are constructed of metal slats that are between 4 in to 6 in (10.2 cm to 15.2 cm) deep and 1 in to 2 in thick (2.5 cm to 5 cm). The width of the slats varies depending on the width of the bed of the conveyor with slat widths going from 28 in up to 50 in (71 cm up to 127 cm). Metal slat conveyors have a very high capacity and have a surface that is ideal for loads that are difficult to convey, such as hot parts, oily parts, or parts with sharp edges. The slats are driven by a low friction roller chain that the slats ride on.
Slats for metal slat conveyor belts are fixed between the chains by bolts to form a strong conveying platform that is a firm flat surface. The design provides a flat mobile platform for transporting assemblies for assembly and production operations. Metal slat conveyors are extremely strong, capable of providing optimum performance in high load conditions.
Although the slats for a metal slat conveyor have a smooth level surface, they can still be used for incline conveying and curve conveying due to the friction between the slats and their loads and the weight of the loads. A motor drives a chain that drives the slats creates a cycle that is similar to that of typical conveyor belts.
The types of metal slat conveyors include standard slat conveyors for small to medium loads that require orientation control without accumulation. The most frequently used type of metal slat conveyor is a heavy-duty slat conveyor that is used by the auto industry for the transport of exceptionally heavy, bulky, and irregular materials at slow speed for production operations.
A special form of metal slat conveyor is an apron conveyor that is used by the mining industry. It has overlapping metal plates with sealed edges to act as a moving trough connected to the chain drive. Apron conveyors, also known as pan conveyors, are leak proof and are used for feed discharge.
The term wire mesh conveyor belt is an all-encompassing term that covers several types of weavings, patterns, structures, and configurations of wire mesh belts. The flexibility and construction of wire mesh conveyor belts makes them adaptable to a wide range of uses since their patterns can vary from tightly woven belts to ones that are loosely woven with each type of weave or pattern being used for a specific purpose or set of requirements.
Compound Balanced Conveyor Belts – Compound balanced conveyor belts have left and right-hand spirals that are compounded together to make a tightly woven flat conveying surface. The tight weave prevents materials from falling through the openings in the weave. As with many of the various types of mesh conveyor belts, compound balanced weave conveyor belts are produced with a wide variety of weaves with each type following a basic pattern or structure.
The manufacture of compound balanced conveyor belts involves a set of precision steps that ensure the quality of the belt and the structure of its weave. Flipping the sections of the belt during production enhances the structure of the belt and ensures that it will track properly. If a compound balanced conveyor belt is properly assembled, it should have variations in color between each of its sections, a factor that guarantees the quality of the weave and the belt.
Balanced Metal Weave Conveyor Belt – Balanced metal weave conveyor belts have right and left-hand spirals that are joined by a crimped connector for each spiral row. The edges of the belt are welded and are available in a limitless number of mesh choices, which are dependent on the application for which the belt will be used. Although balanced metal weave conveyor belts may seem similar to compound balanced weave conveyor belts, the weave of balanced metal weave conveyor belts is less dense, a factor that will allow small pieces to fall through the belt.
The choices of types of balanced metal weave conveyor belts includes the number of spirals per foot, the gauge of connector wires, spiral wire gauge, and second connectors per foot. To further meet the specific needs of an application, spiral pitch and various belt widths are available with pitches ranging from 12 up to 144 and widths of pitches ranging from 3 in up to 0.25 in. Gauges of wire for balanced metal weave conveyor belts range from 1 up to 144 with custom connectors and spirals available on demand.
Gratex Metal Conveyor Belt – Gratex metal conveyor belts have very closely wound spirals connected with a straight metal rod. They have a semi closed mesh, which makes them capable of transporting very small parts. Gratex metal conveyor belts are a compromise between compound metal conveyor belts and balanced metal conveyor belts in that they are woven like balanced conveyor belts but not as loose and more like compound balanced conveyor belts.
The metal rod connector of gratex metal conveyor belts provides stronger connection between the weaves of the mesh, which produces the semi closed structure. It is this factor that makes gratex metal conveyor belts capable of carrying smaller parts and heavier loads.
Chain Link Metal Conveyor Belt - Chain link metal conveyor belts have a simple design that features spiral coils interwoven to create a wire mesh that has knuckle or welded edges. The successive interwoven spiral wires have the appearance of a chain linked fence. The design of chain link metal conveyor belts makes them economical and ideal for lightweight conveying applications.
The three types of chain link metal conveyor belts are standard, reinforced, and double reinforced. Standard chain link conveyor belts have large open areas that allow for easy air flow for heating, cooling, and drying applications. Reinforced chain link metal conveyor belts are sturdier, have less open space, and are built for more rugged applications. Of the three types, double reinforced chain link metal conveyor belts have extremely small openings for superior strength and durability.
Ladder conveyor belts, known as rod conveyor belts, consist of cross rods that are connected by S-shaped hooks, chain links, and U-shaped links. To ensure the strength of the belt, a ring is welded to its cross rod. The appearance of a ladder belt is that of a series of tiny ladders that have been hooked together to create a flat open surface. Ladder metal conveyor belts are driven by a sprocket drive that connects to the edge of the links.
Since ladder belts are mainly used in bakeries, they are made of carbon steel, stainless steel, or galvanized steel that is capable of withstanding temperatures up to 300°C (572°F). The wires of ladder belts are 0.9 mm up to 2.35 mm in diameter with a pitch of 4.24 mm up to 20.32 mm. They are available in a variety of widths to fit any application.
The structure of an eyelink metal conveyor belt consists of eyelinks, which are pieces of wire that have ends that have an eye shape. Eyelink metal conveyor belts are assembled by attaching the eye ends of the wire to rods that run through the middle of the eye. Included in the structure are plate links that are small flat plates that are rounded on their ends with holes punched close to the rounded ends through which rods are placed. The plates transfer the load to supports and are positioned evenly across the span of the eyelink belt.
As with several forms of metal conveyor belts, eyelink conveyor belts come in several forms, which are differentiated by their structure and method of manufacturing. The different types of eyelink metal conveyor belts are welded, pressed, full, with springs wrapped around the rod, and with bushings and washers that separate the eyelinks on the rod. Side finishings include welded edges, chain edges, guide plate edges, plastic block edges, and edge plates.
Honeycomb metal conveyor belts, known as flat wire conveyor belts, have flat metal crimped strips that are connected with rods that are welded on the edges. The crimped metal strips are arranged to form a lattice through which straight round rods are placed. The aspect of honeycomb metal conveyor belts and their most notable feature is their flat surface that can be easily cleaned and have portions replaced when the belt is damaged.
The open areas of honeycomb metal conveyor belts make them ideal for washing, cooling, drying, and cooking applications. They are lightweight, strong and durable and are positively driven using a sprocket drive.
Flexible rod metal conveyor belts consist of alternating spirals that are connected by rods with chain links at either side of the belt held in place by button heads. The flexibility of flexible rod metal conveyor belts is designed for conveyors that spiral, go around curves, or move in a circle as well as run in a straight line. Their side flex makes it possible to install them so that they can move around obstacles and the structural elements of a building.
The strength and durability of flexible rod metal conveyor belts removes the need for regular maintenance. Although they are designed to circle or circumnavigate anything in their path, their flexibility can be adjusted to various degrees to suit the needs of an application or manufacturing process by decreasing the belt’s turning radii.
Biscuit baking conveyor belts, known as rolled baking bands or Z belts, a name attributed to the Z shape of the belts flattened spirals, is a stratified metal spiral belt that is lightweight and thin. It is designed to have low heat inertia, exceptional strength, and allow for maximum air circulation.
The method used to create biscuit baking conveyor belts includes compressing spiral woven mesh using a set of rollers, much like roll forming. The compression of the mesh produces a flat, smooth surface, and thin conveying surface. The completed structure has low mass with high strength. Biscuit baking conveyor belts are friction driven by a large drum located at the out feed of the conveying system.
Biscuit baking conveyor belts are used for conveying dough through the baking process and capable of withstanding temperatures up to 275°C (527°F). The design of biscuit baking conveyor belts ensures even heat transfer across the width and length of the belt. The variations in biscuit baking conveyor belts are categorized by their Z specifications, which have different wire thicknesses, mesh openings, and weights.
Flat metal conveyor belts consist of metal sheets that have been formed into a conveyor belt. They have the same appearance as fabric, plastic, and other conveyor belt materials but are made of connected sheets of metal that have been cut to form a conveyor belt, with stainless steel being the preferred type of sheet metal. Flat metal conveyor belts have a flat smooth surface that will not affect the finish on the products they convey. Unlike mesh metal conveyor belts, flat metal conveyor belts do not have spaces or openings
The original conveyor belts were flat belts, which were and are used for several varied applications. Flat metal conveyor belts are a unique form of metal conveyor belt in that they are not a form of wire mesh. They are specialty conveyor belts that are used for applications that require a sturdy durable material that is exceptionally flat and smooth and will not damage transported materials.
The metal conveyor belts that are described above are a small sampling of the many metal conveyor belts that manufacturers offer. In several cases, clients and producers partner to design and manufacture custom conveyor belts that perfectly fit the needs of a specialized application or process. The choice of metal conveyor belts is due to their strength, durability, flexibility, and longevity. Metal conveyor belts last for years and require little to no maintenance, providing a cost-effective solution for product conveyance and movement.
A wide range of metals are used to construct metal conveyor belts and include various stainless steel alloys, carbon steel, Inconel, Invar, titanium, and aluminum. The choice of metal is in accordance with the requirements of a customer and the preferences of the manufacturer. Conveyor belt designers and engineers prefer working with metals due to metal’s endurance, resistance to corrosion, wear, and temperature, and high tensile and yield strength.
Series 304 and series 316 stainless steels are most commonly used for the manufacture of metal conveyor belts due to their corrosion resistance and their ability to endure variations in heat. Since many metal conveyor belts are used by the food industry, stainless steel is the ideal metal because of its impenetrable hygienic clean surface and exceptional durability.
Stainless steel conveyor belts come in several forms including flat wire open structure for drainage and air circulation. The many forms of stainless steel conveyor belts include mesh, chain rod, flat wire, and balanced weave. For certain special applications where a non-stick surface is necessary, stainless steel can be coated with Teflon or another form of coating. The workability of stainless steel makes it possible to weave it into any form or pattern including reinforced and knitted.
Carbon steel is used for conveyor belts due to its durability and strength, which ensures that belts made of carbon steel can withstand harsh operational conditions such as mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and logistical operations. The surface of a carbon steel conveyor belt is hard and smooth and is widely used for food preparation due to its high thermal conductivity.
After fatigue testing, it has been shown that carbon steel can endure two million load cycles before experiencing fatigue with a fatigue limit of 460 N/mm2. In order to achieve the necessary strength and toughness, a carbon steel conveyor belt must have heat and leveling treatments with the key component of the treatments being the flatness of the belt’s surface.
Inconel is a nickel chromium alloy with low magnetic permeability and high heat resistance. Similar to stainless steel, Inconel is a very clean metal that does not require lubrication and does not generate particulate matter. Since it does not have static electricity buildup, it can be used for transporting electronic materials for assembly.
Like stainless steel and aluminum, Inconel is resistant to corrosion, alkaline conditions, and oxidizing, which makes it suitable conditions that contain chlorides. Inconel conveyor belts are used in extreme conditions where materials are subjected to high temperatures, pressure, and heavy loads. The oxide layer on Inconel forms when it is placed in high heat environments.
Invar is a nickel iron alloy that has a low thermal expansion coefficient. The name of Invar comes from not variable or invariable, which is a reference to its lack of change when experiencing different environmental temperatures. Certain applications require that materials be exposed to a series of changing temperatures, a factor that causes other metal conveyor belts to warp and create uneven tracking and alignment. Invar, with its invariable property, is ideal for such conditions and a practical cost-effective solution.
Aluminum conveyor belts are made of series 6063 aluminum that has received a T5 finishing, which is a heat and aging treatment. As with all aluminum products, aluminum conveyor belts are smooth, have a distinctive appearance, and are resistant to the effects of corrosion and rust. Aluminum conveyor belts are normally some form of wire mesh due to the ductility and malleability of aluminum.
Wire conveyor belts are made using various processes that can involve weaving wires using an under and over technique, twisting the wires, and having wires connected using rods. Weaving is used to produce wire cloth and wire mesh with wire mesh being different from wire cloth in regard to the size of the openings of the wire and the use of thicker wire with large diameters. The stability and strength of wire mesh conveyor belts is adjusted by changing the openings, wires, and connecting method.
The three factors that influence the type of wire mesh are mesh count per inch, the diameter of the wire, and the number of openings in the wire.
Woven wire mesh is similar to woven cloth in that it has several intersecting wires that follow an over under pattern where the wires are perpendicular to each other. The over under type of weave is a plain weave that is stiff and less flexible. Weaves that provide more flexibility are twill weaves, which is a staggered pattern with warped wires following a parallel diagonal pattern. The twill method uses heavier large diameter wires that is not possible with a plain weave.
Twill weaves are more common for use as metal conveyor belts since it allows for denser complex grid patterns with more tensile strength. Each wire passes over two or more wires and under two or more wires to create the density of the weave. The final pattern is diagonal interlocking wires that are strong and stable.
The weaving of wire mesh conveyor belts is straightforward and follows a weaving process. Other methods for manufacturing of wire mesh conveyor belts involve several methods with some methods being proprietary for manufacturers.
Ladder – Ladder belts consist of short lengths of wire that are connected by being bent at either end such that they hook together to form one section of the belt. The different ladder sections are hooked to each other to form a complete belt.
Every manufacturing process depends on the movement of goods, materials, and products using some form of conveyance system, which range from automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to long complex conveying systems. The choice of inhouse conveying method is a major factor in influencing the efficiency and productivity of an operation and requires careful consideration and thought.
The selection of a belt conveyor includes various fabrics and materials that include plastics, rubber, polyesters, and metal that form the surface of the belt. The choice of belt is dependent on the type of industry and the products being produced since conveyance methods can impact the quality of a product.
Since the implementation of conveyors in the 1700’s, different flat smooth materials have been used as a conveying surface. As products have gotten heavier, more fragile, and complex, safer and more durable methods are being used as a means of conveyance. In the food industry, where products are cooked and produced in high volumes, metal conveyor belts have become a necessity. Over the years, new and innovative methods have been discovered that make use of the strength, durability, longevity, and precision of metal conveyor belts.
Durability is the main characteristic of metal conveyor belts, which are made of metals capable of enduring a wide range of harsh and hazardous conditions. Unlike other conveyor belt materials, metal conveyor belts are long lasting and capable of taking any form of punishment from heavy loads and sharp parts. Metal conveyor belts can have extra features and properties depending on the types of metals chosen to produce them, which include corrosion, chemical, and temperature resistant metals.
Clean conveyor belts are important for food production, the pharmaceutical industry, and the technology industries. Unlike other conveyor materials, metal conveyor belts do not generate particulate matter or dust, which makes them useful for cleanroom environments. The majority of metal conveyor belts do not produce friction, do not require lubrication, and need minimal maintenance. They can be easily cleaned and sterilized multiple times without losing their effectiveness.
With few exceptions, metal conveyor belts have a high percentage of openings, which makes them useful for coating applications, cooking, baking, and applications that require drainage. Tighter mesh openings make it possible for metal conveyor belts to convey products and parts of any size and configuration. For applications that require air circulation, metal conveyor belts are the best choice since they can have openings of multiple sizes depending on the needs of an application.
One of the properties of metal conveyor belts that has made them so popular is their ability to withstand extreme temperatures of many hundreds of degrees. This characteristic has made metal conveyor belts an essential part of food production, metal component sintering, and coating of components. Although the ability to endure high temperatures is a common part of metal conveyor belts, there are other applications that necessitate components being exposed to fluctuations in temperatures from extreme lows to extreme highs, which only metal conveyor belts can withstand.
Metal conveyor belts can be configured to fit any type of conditions or environments. A common use of conveyor belts is the movement of materials across a wide area that may have obstacles that require a conveyor belt to rotate or move around the impediment. The structure of metal conveyor belts can be altered and adjusted such that they can move around and under obstructions, easily and smoothly.
Another reason that metal conveyor belts are so widely used is their very high strength to weight ratio, which enables them to convey heavy bulky materials using wire mesh or metal plates. Made of thin lightweight plates, metal conveyor belts are designed to handle the stress of any rugged and rough application. They are used in several applications where strength, lightweight, durability, and ruggedness are required and necessary.
Metal conveyor belt manufacturers work closely with their clients to develop conveying methods that specifically meet the client’s needs. This aspect of the manufacturing process requires materials that are customizable and adaptable to a variety of conditions and environments. Metal has been found to be capable of being shaped and configured to fit most conveying situations from coal mines in the mountains to automotive engine production.
The original conveyor belts from the 1700’s were made of leather that rested on a wooden conveyor bed. They were manually powered and could only move lightweight items over a short distance. Over the years, with the advancements in technology, conveyor belts have grown, expanded, and improved to the point that they can carry items very long distances using a smooth level surface.
Any industry that requires the movement of goods from one point in a facility to another depends on labor saving and cost saving conveyor belts. Manufacturing processes that are involved with high temperatures, bulky heavy materials, and sharp objects use metal conveyor belts for safety, protection of products, and efficiency.
The production and preparation of food involves several different operations, which include mixing, blending, cooking, cooling, and packaging of products. For many years, the food industry used multiple ovens to prepare large batches of food products. It was a time consuming and labor intensive process that required precision handling and protective equipment.
In the middle of the twentieth century, at a pizza parlor, the first metal oven conveyor was introduced, which became a sensation and radically improved the efficiency of baking and preparing foods. From its small beginnings, metal food conveyor belts have grown rapidly and become a necessity for the safe preparation of a wide assortment of food products from baked chicken to various vegetables. Of the many industries that depend on metal conveyor belts, the food industry has found the greatest benefit from their introduction.
Conveyors for scrap handling have to be capable of handling a wide variety of sizes of scrap metal since the size, weight, and shape of scrap metal parts varies from very small ones to ones the size of refrigerators. The purpose of scrap metal conveyor belts is to protect workers, efficiently move scrap metal, and feed furnaces. Scrap metal conveyor belts are designed with a sufficient amount of pitch to be able to handle and secure scrap metal as the conveyor moves the scrap metal to the furnace. The intensity and ruggedness of scrap metal handling necessitates the use of metal conveyor belts, which is the only conveying system capable of enduring the scrap metal process.
Conveyor ovens are a major part of the production of durable parts and components. They are designed to preheat, cure, bond, dry, and heat treat high volumes of workpieces, quickly and efficiently. The metal conveyor belts for these highly technical systems have to be able to endure temperatures of 260°C (500°F) for extended periods of time. Aside from the capabilities to endure the high temperatures, metal conveyor belts are constantly loaded and unloaded as parts move through the oven, which requires them to provide an outstanding performance under the harshest of conditions.
The small sampling of the uses for metal conveyor belts described above is a fraction of the industries that rely on the strength and dependability of metal conveyor belts. From food and pharmaceutical production to the automotive industry, metal conveyor belts have become an essential tool for production efficiency.
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