Low temperatures and freezing environments are responsible for some of the greatest engineering challenges in the belt conveyor and material handling industries. Applications like frozen food processing and distribution, cryogenics, and others all require efficient belt conveyor systems able to withstand constant operation in extreme cold. This is a difficult prospect for any machine, and conveyors are no exception.
mk North America is a leading designer and manufacturer of specialty belt conveyor systems, including those for low temperature, frigid, and freezing environments. No matter what your low temperature application requires, mk can provide a solution to meet your needs. Keep reading to learn more.
Since ancient times, bread has been known as the “staff of life.” While bread’s importance hasn’t waned since those words were first written, the art of baking has changed significantly.
Today, according to the American Bakers Association, the commercial baking industry in the United States is responsible for well over $300 billion in total annual economic output and 1.7 million jobs — about 2.1% of the GDP. While professional bakers have existed since as far back as the 5th century BC in ancient Greece, the scale of sophistication of this modern industry is a far cry from relatively simple, handmade loaves of antiquity.
Indeed, the modern food supply includes baked goods like sandwich rolls, cakes, pies, pastries, crackers, snack bars, and much more. More importantly, rapidly growing population means that highly-efficient industrial methods are required to meet demand.
According to statistics from the American Egg Board, per capita egg consumption in the United States is trending up. From 1998 to 2016, the egg consumption of the average American went up over 11%.
This trend, combined with increasing pressure from the market and regulatory agencies to move toward cage-free and bio-secure production practices, means that egg producers in America are being forced to adapt their facilities – and fast.
If you’re in the market for a new belt conveyor system, you’ve got a lot to consider. One of the most important questions is what kind of belting to use. There are a number of different options when it comes to conveyor belts, and each has its own benefits for specific applications.
Some of the most common options are called modular plastic conveyor belts. As the name suggests, modular plastic conveyor belts are made with a series of several long, narrow modular plastic segments which are interlinked to form a continuous belt.
While this configuration may seem cumbersome at first, it offers a number of benefits over alternatives like standard flat belt conveyors. Keep reading to learn more.
Conveyors play a vital, and often overlooked, function in today’s manufacturing plant. Whether the facility is manufacturing circuit boards, truck transmissions or the latest high protein energy bar – you are sure to find conveyors. Whether carrying raw parts or bringing finished assemblies into the shipping and palletizing areas, conveyors are used at every stage of production and assembly. Conveyors can be used for bulk handling, or for more specialized processes – such as back-lit conveyors for vision inspection or vacuum conveyors for product placement. Conveyors can be auxiliary equipment or they can provide a crucial function, such as indexing conveyors feeding upstream processes.
