Industrial equipment supplier BMG has increased its range of conveyor components for high-temperature industrial applications through its latest range of Cambridge Knuckleback conveyor belts.

BMG power transmission division business unit manager Carlo Beukes says that these belts are particularly apt for applications that are situated close to furnaces, kilns and ovens, where metal belts often stretch and hinder productivity, because they require frequent maintenance.

“This damage adversely affects performance and results in costly downtime for urgent repairs,” says Beukes.

He adds that the Cambridge Knuckleback belts ensure minimal downtime and have limited maintenance requirements as they offer three times the belt life of traditional furnace belts, extending belt life by about 25%.

“[Owing] to the extreme heat generated by furnaces in, for example, glass bottle manufacturing plants, we recommend installing flat top chains that operate efficiently at a safe distance from these high-temperature zones,” Beukes notes.

The fully-customisable, high-temperature belts have a reinforced proprietary reverse back-edge weld that prevents belt breakage by moving the tension away from the weld point, and are equipped with a robust design that helps them withstand extreme environments that reach temperatures up 1 176 ⁰C.

All products for food handling, bottling and packaging applications are carefully selected by BMG specialists to meet the highest conveying and packaging standards, in terms of reliability, flexibility, safety and consistent quality and hygiene controls, Beukes avers.

BMG also offers a technical advisory and support service throughout Southern Africa, and its workshops and stock depots are equipped with the latest tooling and equipment and are manned by skilled belting technicians.

“For optimal handling and safety during production, we advise the following procedure: Bottles should be conveyed from the furnace through a dedicated cooling system and then transported on a specialised stainless-steel flat top belt to the packaging area for final distribution,” he concludes.