Industry
Food Processing
Application
Hot dog manufacturing line
Product
FGP Food Grade Precleaner
Objective
Reduce carryback
Decrease product waste
Reduce clean-up and maintenance
Conveyor Detail
¾" (20 mm) pitch plastic modular belt on an approximate incline of 30 degrees
Problem:
A meat packing operation was experiencing large amounts of waste on the return side of its conveyor since product was sticking to the plastic modular belt and falling to the floor. The cost of the waste was estimated at $150 per shift. With two shifts per day, the estimated cost of carryback was $300.
Solution:
The ground meat was being transferred on a ¾" (20 mm) pitch modular plastic belt positioned at an incline of approximately 30 degrees. A fixed scraper was not an option because of the uneven surface of the belting links as they flexed around the drive sprockets. The maintenance team was, however, able to install a Flexco FGP Food Grade Precleaner at the discharge end of the conveyor, right at the dump zone. The blade tensioning feature of the FGP allowed them to run the cleaner on the plastic modular belt with the blade contouring to the uneven surface.
Result:
The installation of the FGP Food Grade Precleaner reduced the waste in this line by 70-80 percent, translating to a reduction of $210-$240 dollars of waste per day. With a line that runs five days a week, those savings will add up to a reduction of lost product of $54,600 to $62,400 per year. In addition, the facility does not have to clean up the carryback that was previously falling onto the floor.