Overview
Snack production combines two things that are hard on a conveyor: hot oil and constant seasoning dust. Fryer discharge is greasy, seasoning gets everywhere, and the product itself is light, fragile and easily broken. A belt that resists oil but shatters the crisps is no use, so the handling has to be gentle as well as durable.
Oil-resistant belting is essential after the fryer, and open mesh or open modular belt is used where excess oil and seasoning need to fall away from the product rather than travel with it. Transfers between stages are kept short and low, because every drop between conveyors turns whole product into broken product.
Where we work on the line
- Fryer infeed and discharge
- De-oiling and draining
- Seasoning and tumbling
- Cooling and ambient conveying
- Elevation to weighers and baggers
- Bagging and case packing
Frequently asked questions
What belt handles hot oil from a fryer?
Steel wire mesh or oil-resistant plastic modular belting. Mesh is common straight off the fryer because excess oil drains straight through the belt rather than travelling along with the product, and steel is unaffected by the heat.
How do you avoid breaking fragile snacks?
By minimising the number of transfers and keeping drop heights as low as possible, since most breakage happens where product falls between conveyors. Continuous runs, gentle inclines and spiral elevation instead of sharp transfers all help keep whole product whole.
How is seasoning dust dealt with?
Open belt styles let excess seasoning fall through to collection trays instead of building up on the carrying surface, and stainless steel construction handles the frequent cleaning that seasoning residue makes necessary.