In the food manufacturing industry, a state-of-the-art facility combines safety and efficiency to produce high quality products – conveyors for food manufacturing are a must. Building an ideal facility means customizing equipment to fit your specific manufacturing needs while maintaining quality and safety standards. Utilizing conveyor belts throughout the manufacturing process is one of the best ways to ensure that your products are handled in a sanitary environment. Conveyor belts provide a speedy and safe way to transport products from point A to point B without the need for workers to handle food.
Interested in streamlining your food manufacturing practices? Here’s our list of the top benefits you’ll gain when you add conveyor belts to your facility.
What Kind of Conveyors Should I Install for Food Manufacturing?
There are many different varieties of conveyor belts, from stainless steel conveyors, to chain conveyors, to large flatbed conveyors. In the food industry, most facilities use belt conveyors or vibrating conveyors to move products along during the process.
Food-grade conveyor belts are safe to be in direct contact with ingredients and products, so you don’t need to worry about maintaining the quality of your goods. Vibrating conveyors are an excellent way to transport products like powders without fear of contamination. Choosing the right conveyor belt for your facility will depend on the type of product you’re producing and the size of your facility.
What are the Benefits?
From transport, to safety, to energy efficiency, conveyor belts are a smart investment for your company in a variety of ways.
Here are a few key benefits conveyor belts add to your manufacturing process:
Increased Efficiency
Perhaps the most obvious reason to install conveyor belts into your facility is to increase the overall efficiency of your manufacturing process. Without the need for products to be individually handled or transported, the entire system becomes more streamlined. Conveyor belts are a versatile addition to your facility, since they have adjustable speeds and can transport food backwards, forwards, or even upwards!
Plus, when you adopt conveyor belts into your facility you’ll save time. Instead of wasting power or manual labor dealing with products one at a time, all your products will be moved safely and swiftly to their next destination on the conveyor belt.
Decreased Manual Labor
Another way that conveyor belts contribute to the health of your business is by diminishing the need to have workers in the factory handling food. The reduction of workers near heavy equipment increases overall safety, both in terms of food contamination and worker wellbeing.
The reduction of manual labor also influences the efficiency of the manufacturing process. As previously mentioned, the less that food has to be handled or physically transported to its next destination, the more cost-effective your manufacturing process will be. Without the need for excess workers, you’ll save money on recruiting, wages, and benefits, and will be able to devote more resources to the quality of your product.
Reduced Risk of Accidents
With fewer workers crowding around machines and handling hot products or sharp utensils, the risk of accidents in your facility decreases significantly. Conveyors promote a “hands-off” approach to manufacturing by eliminating the need for employees to directly oversee certain stages of the manufacturing process. With less exposure to dangerous equipment, overall quality of employees’ work environment will increase.
If you’re still concerned about employee safety, there are measures you can take to be proactive. Conveyors have adjustable speeds and heights so areas where employees need to interact with the product may be optimized for increased safety. Additionally, conveyors can be fenced-in with barriers or completely enclosed to protect employees from hazards.
Prioritized Food Safety
At the end of the day, you want your manufacturing facility to produce delicious, consistent, and safe products for your customers. The fewer workers who come into contact with raw materials, the safer the manufacturing process will be. Conveyor belts provide a convenient way for items to be quickly transported within the facility.
Depending on the product, specific conveyor designs are intentionally made to reduce risk of contamination or exposure to dust. These features help your facility meet safety standards, so you don’t need to worry about accumulating any fines or citations regarding your manufacturing process. Plus, equipment that’s specially designed to transport food is easy to clean, making routine maintenance simple and effective.
Upgrade Your Facility with Custom Cut Metals
At Custom Cut Metals we provide our customers with high-quality equipment designed with efficiency and safety in mind. Our conveyors are designed specifically for the needs of food manufacturing purposes. We offer unique products made with meticulous craftsmanship, and are dedicated to prioritizing innovation in our work. When you work with Custom Cut Metals, we’re here to help problem-solve and create custom solutions to all your manufacturing needs.