Sponsored by Regal Rexnord
As baking and snack production demands continue to escalate, manufacturers are discovering that their greatest productivity challenges often hide in plain sight. From product transfer inefficiencies to unexpected equipment failures, these overlooked bottlenecks can significantly impact overall equipment effectiveness and bottom-line results.
In this Q&A with Regal Rexnord, you’ll learn how modern spiral conveyor systems are addressing these critical challenges while helping producers scale operations without compromising quality, yield, or labor efficiency.
Thomas Perdue, Product Development Manager at Regal Rexnord’s Cambridge Division, is a mechanical engineer with over 30 years of expertise in metal and plastic conveyor belting design, specializing in industrial metal belt development for spiral conveyors and serving as co-inventor on more than 20 U.S. patents. Crystal Willey, Director of Sales at Cambridge, brings 33 years of experience at Regal Rexnord, primarily in sales management with deep application knowledge across Food and Industrial markets for the Cambridge metal belt portfolio.
Q. What hidden productivity challenges are most often overlooked in baking and snack production lines today and how do these bottlenecks typically impact overall equipment effectiveness?
Thomas Perdue and Crystal Willey: Most production lines are comprised of individual processing equipment which form the line. The transition of delicate or smaller products from one unit to the next can become an issue for product loss at these transfers. The overall conveyance of the product can be problematic based on the components not having the same life expectancy as another, which leads to unexpected downtime when there is a failure.
Q. Where do spiral systems most often break down in high-throughput baking and snack environments—and what design innovations are helping reduce that downtime?
TP and CW: A breakdown often occurs during the production process, yielding product loss and an immediate reaction by maintenance personnel. Design innovations today include weldless splices which require no hot work permits, quicker splicing methods which reduce the time to make repairs, and condition monitoring for preventative maintenance.
Q. Beyond belt speed, what spiral-specific design factors—like airflow, spacing, or product transfer efficiency—have the biggest downstream impact on baking and productivity?
TP and CW: Two important factors include sufficient airflow and product handling. To cool or freeze the baked goods effectively and efficiently requires sufficient heat transfer mainly through convection. Convection requires airflow, so the open area of a spiral conveyor belt is a strong consideration. However, that must be balanced with sufficient product support to minimize product marking and the potential for product sticking. Product support, transfers on and off of the spiral conveyor, and smooth conveying of the product once it is within the spiral stack are all key parts of product handling.
Q. How can spiral design help mid-sized baking and snack producers scale up while avoiding quality, yield, or labor tradeoffs?
TP and CW: There are a number of different types of spiral conveyors available today along with a variety of spiral conveyor belts. This provides the mid-sized baking and snack producers with feasible options to choose from to best match their needs (and budget) to the equipment that is available. Spiral equipment that requires the lowest maintenance, is easy to clean, and has a good track record for production uptime would seem to be the best starting point for consideration. Similarly, conveyor belts that are easy to repair and splice should be included.
Q. What specific spiral system design features and cleaning protocols should baking and snack producers prioritize to achieve faster changeovers and maintain food safety standards?
TP and CW: Spiral conveyor OEMS today are heavily focused on providing conveyors that are easier to keep clean. On new systems, this is typically already an included design consideration. This can include features such as open support structures, fewer welds for the conveyor frame, eliminating bar caps, minimal support rails, clean-in-place systems for the belting, etc. The selection of the conveyor belt on a spiral system is equally important as this is the only component in the system that directly contacts the products. A balance of product support and open area is important along with quick splicing features and a design that is easy to keep clean.
Q. What real-world gains—throughput, labor, utility savings—can baking and snack executives expect from a modern spiral system?
TP and CW: Throughput is key. Each spiral system can be designed to minimize the dwell time needed for the various products based on the heat load generated by the products. Inherent in that throughput is system uptime. A modern spiral system that has been designed for the application will also have a conveyor belt that best fits the product from support and airflow considerations. A properly designed and operating system will also provide the most uptime with minimal maintenance, which contributes to the overall product throughput.
Q. What’s the most important shift you’re seeing in how spiral systems are designed—and how do you see that shaping the next generation of baking and snack operations?
TP and CW: For many years, the predominant type of spiral system was the low-tension, friction driven conveyor. It works extremely well and can be a reliable system for many years. But within the past 15 years approximately, there has been a sizeable shift toward positively driven spiral conveyors. These are mainly inside driven, rotating drum systems. But there are also outside edge driven spirals that do not use a drum at all.
Both of these system types represent new technology to an extent, and that does not come without some degree of difficulty in the application at times. However, the interest in these systems is growing and the improvements to them will continue. We still expect to have many friction driven spiral conveyors with us for many years to come. However, the positively driven spiral conveyors seem to be here to stay, and for good reason. When operated and applied properly, they provide long belt life, excellent product handling, good uptime, and relatively low maintenance costs.
Ready to optimize your production line? Learn more about Regal Rexnord’s innovative spiral conveyor solutions and how they can help eliminate bottlenecks in your baking and snack operations. Visit www.regalrexnord.com to explore their full range of conveyor belt technologies and connect with their expert team.
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