The Importance of Chain and Conveyor Belt Lubrication
Chains and conveyor belts play crucial roles in the food & drinks industry.
Conveyor belts and systems are predominantly used to automate the transportation of materials and products quickly and efficiently. Through this, they reduce manual labour, accidents and costs. Common conveyor systems used in the food & drink industry are roller conveyors, belt conveyors, chain conveyors, pneumatic and hydraulic conveyors, ball conveyors, and magnetic conveyors.
Chains are predominantly used to hold, pull, haul, lift and transmit power between two components. Common chain types used in the food & drink industry are drive chains, roller chains and lift chains.
Food-grade chains and conveyor belts must adhere to strict hygiene and health & safety standards, ensuring they:
- Don’t contribute to the contamination of food products or other machinery involved in food processing.
- Withstand exposure to abrasive cleaning chemicals
- Provide resistance to water and humidity exposure
- Don’t corrode, oxidate or rust
- Don’t wear down, losing efficiency and contaminating products with particulates
- Provide resistance to high and low temperatures
- Operate optimally at high loads and operation times
- Operate optimally at high pressures and speeds
These properties are enabled through the use of NSF H1/H3, ISO 21469-certified lubricants that ensure they are fit for contact with food. This allows food manufacturers to reduce downtimes, reduce maintenance and repairs, ensure food safety and save costs by increasing efficiencies.
Conveyor Belts and Chains in the Food & Drinks Industry
Conveyor belts and chains are commonly used in the food & drinks industry for:
- Transporting ingredients from one point to another
- Moving, and keeping, materials through ovens and freezers
- Transporting products through drying, coating and washing machinery
- Overhead transportation of products
- Food packaging
- Pneumatic machinery
- Hydraulic machinery
- Pulley systems
- Bucket elevators
Top Food-Grade Conveyor Belt and Chain Oils
JAX food-grade oils are ideal in conveyor belt and chain applications as they:
- Provide non-drip properties, ensuring they cling to overhead applications and not leak
- Reduce friction and wear on processing machinery – improving efficiencies and reducing the frequency of maintenance, saving costs.
- Increase equipment lifetime – reducing the need for repairs or replacements.
- Improve equipment safety – reducing health & safety hazards, ensuring safe operability of machinery.
- Protect against corrosion, water and chemicals – reducing inefficiencies and the likelihood of equipment damage.
- Provide full safety for storage, freezing and vacuum packing.
- Ensure functionality while eliminating food & food waste contamination.
- Ensure functionality without contributing to food allergens.
- Improving general hygiene in the workspace.
- Reduce the risk of cavitation and pump damage.
- Reduce sludge and residue.
- Provide extended drain intervals.
- Provide full safety and confidence for contact with food.
NSF H1, ISO 21469 Conveyor Belt and Chain Oils
JAX Proofer Chain Oil is a food-grade chain oil with superior anti-corrosion quality and excellent load-carrying capacities for chain applications. It has been specifically designed for use on bakery lines and other food processing equipment in wet or humid environments. It provides excellent no-drip characteristics and corrosion protection.
Jax Trolley-Glide FG-3H is a lubricant that can be used on chains, carts and conveyor belts with direct contact with food (NSF H3). It provides excellent low temperature performance, metal wetting, rust protection and non-drip characteristics.
JAX Magna-Plate 78 is mineral oil with Micronox with excellent protection against wear and corrosion, medium ISO 32 or mild with high load capacity. It’s suitable for most chain applications and can-sealing machines. It provides excellent oxidation stability at high temperatures and filterability characteristics.
JAX Magna-Plate 86 is an oil for chains that works at extremely low temperatures. It’s suitable for all types of tunnel freezers with blown air up to –65°C. As a result, it has been used for ice cream making and vegetable freezing equipment.
JAX Pyro-Kote FG Series are synthetic ester-based lubricants specifically for cleaning and providing deposit-free lubrication in high-temperature oven chain applications. It provides thermal stability and oxidation resistance up to 315 ºC, exceptionally low volatility and evaporation, and minimal formation of varnish, mud and carbonaceous deposits.
