Intralox Belting Excels in Spiral Freezer
High Liner Foods, Inc. switches to Intralox belting in their spiral freezer for a successful, low-maintenance solution to their metal belt problems.
Background
High Liner Foods Incorporated is one of North America’s largest marketers of prepared frozen seafood products. Based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the company sells its products in the U.S. and Canada under the brands High Liner® and Fisher Boy®.
At its processing facilities, High Liner Foods sought to replace the metal belt in its spiral freezer due to problems with frequent maintenance and repair. The company partnered with Intralox to determine a low-maintenance, labor-saving solution.
Problem
Metal spiral belts used in freezer applications are often prone to the following problems:
- Periodic belt crashes due to high metal belt tension
- Frequent unscheduled downtime and periodic belt repair/replacement
- Excessive product sticking to metal belt surface, causing product damage or loss
- Excessive necessary maintenance, including lubrication and belt flipping
- Regular replacement of cage bar caps and wearstrips
- High energy consumption
- Metal belt weight limits product carrying capacity
Solution
In July 2006, High Liner Foods replaced the metal spiral belt with Intralox’s Spiralox™ belting, specifically designed for spiral freezer applications. The modular plastic construction of Spiralox belting delivers great benefits over metal belts:
- Lower belt tension reduces the potential for crashes and dramatically increases belt life
- Significantly less downtime, repairs, and operational costs
- Reduced product sticking and contamination issues
- No lubrication or belt flipping required
- Cage bar caps and wearstrips do not require replacement
- Lower energy consumption due to the lightness of the plastic belt material
- Lighter belt weight allows for greater product carrying capacity
Results
Since the retrofit, High Liner Foods has reported being very satisfied with the switch to Intralox. The Spiralox belt has required minimal upkeep for high performance. The maintenance staff is also very pleased; with less belt maintenance required, they are freed for other tasks. Spiralox belting has proven to have an overall lower cost of ownership than metal belts.
“We believe that Intralox modular plastic spiral belts are the solution for future replacements,” said Calvin Blanchard, High Liner Foods Maintenance Manager.