The belts that run through a cooler or freezer, and how efficiently they’re used, can have a big impact throughput and product quality. 

“Often when I visit customers, they aren’t really optimizing their belt loading,” noted Jordan Smith, senior applications engineer, JBT. “This usually looks like stacked product or failure to use the entire belt width.”

By using more of the belt width, bakers can cool or freeze a greater amount of product at the same time without needing to significantly adjust the line. Opting for longer belt lengths within the cooler or freezer, or wider belts that can hold more lanes of product, similarly boosts output, said.

Keir Bordner, technical product specialist, Wire Belt Co. of America, observed that advances in open-mesh steel conveyor belting allow producers to cool or freeze product at a quicker rate than traditional plastic and high-density metal options. 

“For example, on linear coolers, metal conveyor belts with 70% to 86% open area allow for more rapid cooling solutions,” he said. “This efficient cooling of product allows for shorter conveyor circuits, less energy usage and increased throughput while also reducing quality complaints.”

Advancements in vulcanized belts, which are more resistant to heat, similarly reduce the energy needed to cool or freeze product, Arthur Mrumlinski, application engineer, Eaglestone. The company has also added tunnel fans and ambient fans over conveyors to lower temperatures more quickly.

Choosing the best belt for a line also depends on the products being run. 

“The desired freezing speed, sanitation requirements, type of freezing technology being used, and the size and weight will all play a role in the choice [of belt],” Mrumlinski said. “The first main factors to be considered are the throughput volume, product texture, content of the product and moisture content. Once the main factors are determined, everything else will fall into place.”

A soft dough, for example, may have difficulty releasing on a wire mesh belt compared to a plastic belt, while the opposite may be true for other products, said David Bogle, conditioning platform lead engineer, Intralox.

Bryan Hobbs, director of factory service, Ashworth Bros, suggested that more delicate products may require a tighter mesh belt to avoid unwanted markings on the product during freezing. 

“Heavier products may require a belt with a heavier load capacity to get a suitable belt life,” he said.

 Increased durability and the ability to handle heavier products are some of the greatest advancements in belting as it relates to spiral freezers and coolers, Hobbs observed. Ashworth’s Omni-Grid 360 Weld product line has a high-tension rating that can support larger loads and allows for increased throughput, he said. 

Similarly, Wire Belt’s Eyeflex metal modular belt is designed to withstand heavier products. 

“Smaller products that require tight conveyor-to-conveyor transfers would be better suited for Compact Grid, which is able to carry smaller products while allowing significant air flow,” Bordner said.

This article is an excerpt from the November 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Cooling & Freezing, click here.