You don’t have to work in a factory or a manufacturing facility to know conveyor belts play a critical role in a wide range of industries. This type of carrying system involves a continuous flat loop (belt), which rotates by the power of two or more pulleys.
Most people are familiar with the conveyor belts seen on treadmills, at airports, and at grocery store checkout counters. However, the technology is essential for many industrial applications.
Industrial conveyor belts are used in:
- Food production
- Freight loading and unloading
- Industrial cooking and baking
- Lineshaft rollers
- Material transit
- Packaging
- Processing facilities
- Product assembly lines
Conveyor belts can be made from steel, polyester, nylon, or cotton. Since conveyor systems are necessary for different applications, the type of material used for the belt is an important factor. Checkout counters and treadmills typically use rubber-coated polyester belts, whereas many industrial systems call for heavy-duty stainless steel wire mesh.
High Temperatures & Conveyor Belts
Some conveyor systems reach notably high temperatures. Examples include industrial baking, solar panel fabrication, and heat sealing.
Industrial Baking: With food processing and industrial baking, conveyor belts can reach upwards of 500 °F. Suffice to say, rubber, polyester, nylon, and cotton don’t hold up under temperatures this high.
Solar Panel Fabrication: Conveyor belts are also used for the production of solar panels, and the systems sometimes call for extreme heat. A thermal-resistant belt material is crucial for manufacturing solar panels.
Packaging: When products are packaged in factories, heat sealing is commonly used. The process utilizes heat to seal product packaging and shipping materials as well as other thermoplastic objects.
Why a Metal Mesh Conveyor Belt is Essential
If a non-metal conveyor belt were to come into contact with food or other objects above 140 °F, the material would melt, burn, or otherwise deteriorate. At the very least, it will cause uneven wear-and-tear. This can lead to expensive equipment replacements and it’s also a major safety hazard.
The importance of using a stainless steel conveyor belt goes beyond the fact that most materials deteriorate under high temperatures. While this might seem obvious, scorching products are challenging to handle and transport.
High-heat items may include:
- Hardening plastics
- Metal products and equipment
- Molten metals
- Recently cooked or processed foods
- Sealants
With a metal mesh conveyor belt, there’s no need to touch extra-hot products until they’ve had time to cool, cure, or harden. Also, stainless steel wire mesh is uniform, durable, and versatile.
Stainless Steel Wire Mesh from TWP Inc.
Since 1969, TWP Inc. has been a world-leading supplier of stainless steel wire mesh and other metal hardware cloth products. When it comes to industrial-quality wire mesh conveyor belts, we have myriad options for your unique applications. Our thermal-resistant conveyor belt wire mesh can accommodate temperatures needed for industrial cooking, food production, manufacturing solar panels, and heat sealing.
While stainless steel is the most common choice for industrial conveyor belts, aluminum is used in some systems. The strong and resilient mesh comes in a variety of weaves, thicknesses, sizes, and specifications. Not only does it maintain its integrity in extremely high heat, but it’s also resistant to freezing temperatures, heavy weights, abrasion, corrosion, and general damage. Our products are suitable for virtually endless applications, and they won’t need to be replaced for many years.
We offer pre-slit roles of mesh materials. That being said, we realize custom lengths and sizes are often necessary. For this reason, we offer expert measuring, laser cutting, and slitting services to provide our customers with the custom sizes and quantities they need.
Request a quote for a custom order today, or get in touch with us to learn more about our premium wire mesh products.
We invite you to connect with us on LinkedIn. We share news and information about trends in the mining, agriculture, oil and gas, construction industry, and more.