As a manufacturing business in the food industry, you have to equip your warehouse with specific equipment and materials to comply with proper food handling health and safety requirements. There is a range of food-grade conveyor belts that match the various needs of your production system, depending on the type of goods you handle. Once you’ve found the right belt for your system, appropriately storing it maintains its quality and maximizes its use, optimizing your productivity. Here are three tips for properly storing your extra conveyor belts.
Use Indoor Controlled Storage Solutions
Extreme high and low temperatures negatively affect conveyor belts. High heat or intense sunlight on the straps causes cracks and warping on the belts. If the bands get too cold, they lose their flexibility and become drier and more vulnerable to abrasion. Indoor and controlled storage spaces create the best conditions for storing your extra belts. The ideal room temperature should sit between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity percentage below 70 percent. You should also place the belts away from windows to avoid sun exposure and moisture inside the storage space.
Add Protective Coverings
On top of placing your belts in a sheltered storage space with a controlled climate, add some form of cover to protect your equipment from harm with another barrier layer. When you initially buy the straps, they typically come sealed in plastic, protecting the rubber or urethane belt from external threats like water. Moisture and humidity work hand in hand to cause the demise of resting conveyor straps. They generate moist surfaces, culturing rot and causing the edges of the belts to curl. Covering your belts in a plastic seal, tarp, or wrap blocks moisture and humidity from damaging your equipment over long periods of time. Plus, seals keep the belt’s surface clean.
Place the Belts off the Ground
A key rule to storing extra conveyor belts is placing them off the ground, preferably suspended in the air. Resting the bands on any surface comes with the risk of folding edges, piercing the material with sharp objects, and contamination. Placing them on the ground also causes potential abrasion hazards when trying to move the belt in and out of storage. Most conveyor bands come wrapped around a metal core, which you can use to lift the straps above the floor and rest on stands.
Proper storage keeps your conveyor belts in quality condition and ready to use when the time comes for a band replacement. It also ensures that they stay clean or are easy to clean so that they comply with food manufacturing health and safety protocols. Aside from these three tips for properly storing your extra conveyor belts, you should keep a few other notes in mind when storing food belts. Perform constant check-ups, avoid bending the bands, and use a tarpaulin for outdoor storage.