BAKERY
Steel bake oven belt technology backed up by service support IPCO is a prominent manufacturer of solid and perforated carbon steel bake oven belts, supplying OEMs and end users across Africa’s bakery industry. Dairy substitutes are dominating the global market for animal product alternatives.
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HE KEY QUALITIES of a steel belt include outstanding thermal properties for efficient baking; the inherent ease of cleaning of a belt compared with mesh; and exceptional levels of durability that deliver an attractive return on investment. Steel belts are also extremely versatile, being suitable for products as diverse as bread, biscuits, brownies, crackers, pastries, sponges, allbutter cookies and pizza bases. As a conveying medium that’s completely flat and smooth, there are no gaps, recesses or crevices in which carbon deposits could collect. This means that steel belts are inherently quicker and easier to clean than mesh belts and also results in less water consumption, reduced use of chemicals/ detergents, and easier changeover from one product to another. In terms of maintenance, qualities such as good tension and tracking characteristics and resistance to stretching combine to result in significantly less downtime than other belt materials. Ensuring this level of reliability means that every IPCO belt has to be engineered
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to specific tolerances, as global product manager Marko Leber explains. “The baking process requires not only specific thermal properties but also mechanical ones: the belt needs to provide stable working conditions when tensioned and to transfer the heat from the heating media to the product in an even way. The necessary mechanical properties are created during the production process, engineering long lasting flatness and straightness into the belt. “A consistent belt colour is important too. Dark areas absorb heat and light areas reflect heat, so uneven belt colour can result in an uneven bake. This quality has to be engineered into the belt.” The company can produce belts in widths from 800mm to 3 500mm. This makes it possible to achieve significant improvements in productivity without having to invest in factory extensions or new facilities. An oven with a 1 500mm wide belt offers almost twice the productivity of one with an 800mm belt without any increase in the line length. In addition to a long working life and low maintenance requirements, the relative lightness of a steel belt can result in lower operating costs. Solid steel belts are lighter than wire mesh – perforated steel belts lighter still – so cost up to 30% less to heat. Each time the belt exits the baking chamber, it begins to cool and has to be heated up again, so the savings are continuous. As much of 25% of an oven’s energy consumption is needed to heat the belt, so these savings can be considerable. OVEN UPGRADES TO SOLID STEEL BELTS While most of IPCO’s work with the bakery industry is focused on the manufacture and supply of steel belts, the company can also support OEMs in system design and supply a full range of conveyor equipment from sheaves and shafts to bearings and breakpoints. Other ancillary equipment available includes active and passive belt alignment
Food Manufacturing Africa | 2021 Quarter 2
“… steel belts are inherently quicker and easier to clean than mesh belts and also results in less water consumption, reduced use of chemicals/ detergents, and easier changeover from one product to another”
solutions such as belt edge detectors, guide rollers and compact/automatic tracking devices. As a result of this close cooperation between IPCO and OEMs, it is often possible for manufacturers to gain the extra production flexibility delivered by upgrading the conveyor system from mesh to solid or perforated steel, without having to replace their existing oven. Service and maintenance support This level of expertise means that IPCO’s engineers are able to offer maintenance support that looks beyond the belt. “The belt acts as a window into the performance of the entire oven,” says Marko Leber. “We understand how a belt interacts with the many other components that make up the system as a whole. An inspection by our service team goes beyond the belt – we look at the whole line to understand how the entire system is performing.” “We offer comprehensive Preventative Maintenance Agreements (PMAs), designed to identify and rectify potential risks of failure before they have chance to disrupt production.” IPCO has fully trained and equipped service teams on the ground in all key markets, including Africa. As well as enabling a quick response to any service or repair needs, this also means that work is carried out by qualified people with a real understanding of customers’ needs and values. •
IPCO – www.ipco.com/bake
