Symetix, the pharmaceutical group of US company Key Technology, offers a new sanitary belt conveyor for bulk tablets, capsules, softgels, and powders, as well as ingredients on regulated and over-the-counter pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement manufacturing and packaging lines.
Featuring a positive drive urethane (PDU) belt, stainless steel frame and components, open construction, and other sanitary features, Symetix’s new belt conveyor eases cleaning to reduce labour, speed changeover, and increase uptime while improving equipment hygiene to maximise product safety.
Suitable for conveying ingredients to blending and mixing, in-process products on manufacturing lines, and finished products to packaging, Symetix’s sanitary belt conveyor comes in 'dog leg', cantilever, flat, and inclined configurations that can be mounted to the floor, on casters, or suspended. Belts can be designed with a flat surface or a variety of shaped flights and/or flexible side walls to contain the product in pockets while elevating.
The US FDA-compliant belting is thermoformed to meet the needs of the application, providing a homogenous and seamless belt. Compared with fabric belts that can fray, delaminate, and promote bacteria build-up, and plastic interlocking belts with crevices that can harbour bacteria, the smooth PDU belt resists bacterial attachment and features no seams or crevices to harbour bacteria.
The surface of the sanitary belt is uniform, making it easy to clean. The tool-less collapsible take-up system, which releases tension from the belt, along with the fastener-free snap-in-place carry-ways, enable the belt to be removed quickly for sanitation. By streamlining cleaning, the sanitary belt conveyor reduces labour and downtime associated with sanitation and product changeovers.
The positive drive can further enhance sanitation when equipped with an optional motorised pulley. This eliminates shaft-mounted motors and gearboxes, which can trap product. Open construction and cleaning slots in transitions provide easy access for sanitation. The head- and tail-rollers, bearings, gearbox, and motor are made of stainless steel to resist bacterial growth.
The versatility of this modular conveyor allows Symetix to accommodate virtually any required throughput from less than 2,000lb (0.9 metric tons) to more than 60,000lb (27 metric tons) of product per hour.