conveyor belt material

sandeep lokhande

The excepted coating would be listed on a manufacturers website, but to answer you question if the material type is not known.

A rule of thumb, and this came from a USDA-3A inspector.

But here in the states the USDA-3A inspecter to make sure its passes does what they call a red dye wicking test.

They take and put on the edge of the belt and a standard red food dye on it, just a drop or 2. And if the dye wicks (penetrates through) its not an approved sanitary belt for 3A. That for a conveyor flat belt. The flat belt is usually PVC coated and end capped sealed.

phoenix911

Thank you very much.

But still I would like to get some more information. Where I can get red dye. Please explain little more about wicking test.

To start with, food grade material is not porous. Typically its smooth and made of a food grade material. If its a rough or porous material, then its not suitable typically. This has to to with cleanability. If you cannot clean it, then its not suitable for used in food manufacture.

As for the material itself, there are rubbers and then there are food grade rubbers. Typpically you can't tell the difference since what makes a rubber, vinyl or plastic is not the material itsef, but the additives (or lack thereof) used in their manufacture. this is the main draw back in say using recycled plastic bottles in making new bottles. since you cannot confirm that the source material is in fact food grade, the FDA will not allow recycle to be used for new bottles. They are slowly backing off that, but it illistrates the point that you can't tell just by looking.