Food Processors Gravitate To New Conveyor Drive Options

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Dynamic Conveyor recently standardized on Van der Graaf units for drum motors, although food clients also can specify gear drives. Interroll builds both gear and drum motors, though it is emphasizing the latter in food industry discussions.

“Food processors want drum motors’ seamless design, with no cracks and grooves between the sprockets,” according to Justin Caris, Dynamic Conveyors’ senior sanitary design engineer. “Gear motors are hard to clean and require a lot of disassembly.

“The Food Safety Modernization Act is pushing more companies to pay the up-charge for a drum,” he adds. Processors of dairy and ready-to-eat products are most likely to standardize on those motors, though companies sensitive about brand protection also are trending toward them.

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