Plastic-top Tabletop Chains and Modular Belts Reduce Drive Needs

Up to 75% of all products in your average supermarket were conveyed with flat top (tabletop) chains and plastic modular belts during their production and packaging stages. These types of belts can be used for virtually any conveying application which requires a flat transport surface – this includes conveying glass and plastic bottles, cans, cases, casks, and barrels in bottling and packing plants, conveying food, and conveying small- and medium-sized goods in industrial plants and factories. However, their utility is not simply limited to the consumables industry: using plastic modular belts instead of a live-roller belt in corrugated box depalletizers reduces the risk of slips and falls when workers must walk across the line.

Tabletop chains and plastic modular belts are constructed of low-contamination synthetic materials and meet several industries’ demands for energy efficiency, low noise level, and low maintenance requirements. Tabletop chains consist of several of these plastic plates connected to each other with single and double hinged joints. This permits tabletop chains to be constructed in widths of up to 305mm (12”) for use in both straightline and curved tracks, and onto which the product may be directly placed. An interesting feature of tabletop chain is that several “runs” may be operated in parallel, allowing conveying surface widths of up to 1700mm (67”).

Plastic tabletop chains have several advantages over stainless steel equivalents (wire belting, etc.) in a wide variety of applications. Firstly, the noise level of tabletop chains is up to 80% lower and the synthetic elements are up to 40% lighter; this either reduces the drive power requirements, or increases the conveying capacity of the belt for the given application. Secondly, because of the plastic’s resistance to corrosion and chemicals, tabletop chains can be cleaned with cleaners that are either unsuitable for the metallic counterparts or would require intensive maintenance. Thirdly, the FDA-approved plastic has excellent mechanical properties, allowing for high load carrying capability while maintaining dimensional stability – even in humid conditions – and is low-friction.


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