| Aligned belt |
A Flat-Flex belt which has had shapes formed in each strand of the belt forming distinct rows in which a product can rest. |
| Architectural Mesh: |
This is a wire conveyor belt, or mesh panel, used architecturally. This may be as external cladding to provide a decorative finish, screening or protection. It can be used internally to divide a space or provide an aesthetic feature. |
| Balanced Spiral |
(or balance weave) A woven metal belt made up by joining left hand and right hand wound spirals, retained in place by crimped cross rods. |
| Belt supports |
(or carry ways) These may also may be referred to a wear strips and provide belt support on either product carrying side or return side or both. Depending on the material used, they can greatly influence the tension in the belt. |
| Blank |
A support disk, similar to a sprocket with no teeth. |
| Bottom belt |
The product carrying belt in a dual belt system, such as in a fryer. See “hold down” to describe top belt. |
| Carry way |
See “Belt support” |
| Catenary sag |
A belt hanging under its own weight between two (2) supports in the curved shape. This is our preferred gravity take up. |
| Chain Edge Belts |
Typically used with balanced spiral belts with rods slipped through spirals across the belt width and connected to a roller chain. Handles heavy loads. Used on long conveyors. |
| Cleat |
See flight |
| Compound belt |
A Flat-Flex belt made with one or more special strands with “flights” formed into a repeating pattern. |
| Counter weight |
(or gravity weight) take up. A weighted roll within the belt circuit which is used to tension the belt at a constant level. |
| Crown |
Flat-Flex belt, pre-stressed in a positive camber across the belt width, so when heat is applied, the belt will remain flat. |
| Curved conveyor |
A conveyor, whose belt has the ability to turn mild corners. |
| Decline conveyor |
A conveyor whose product exits at a lower elevation than the loading level. See also incline conveyors. |
| Discharge end |
Unloading end of the conveyor. |
| DLE |
Abbreviation for double loop edge. Reinforces the outside edge of the belt. Available with finer wires only. For single loop end, see SLE. |
| End roll |
The shaft at either end of a conveyor, but not a drive roll. |
| Honeycomb Belt |
Also called “Flat wire belt”. A conveyor belt made of flat steel strip, formed into an open mesh with heavy duty connecting rods linking the belt together. |
| Flat-Aligned |
A Flat-Flex belt with a horizontal formation, in every space, to create a ‘Meat Roller’ belt. |
| Flex-Turn |
A conveyor, manufactured by Wire Belt, which transfers product gently and in line around corners. |
| Flight |
A shape pre-formed into the Flat-Flex strand that typically sticks out above the mesh. Usually used to help push a product up an incline. See compound belt. |
| Gear |
See sprocket. |
| Gravity weight |
See counter weight. |
| Hold down belt |
Also called “submerger belt” or “top belt”. Used in a dual belt system, this belt is used as means to hold product under a liquid such as in a fryer. |
| Idle roll |
A non-driven shaft in the conveyor circuit. Often referred to as the infeed roll or discharge end roll, end roll, or a support roll. |
| Idler rollers |
Steel or plastic pipes which spin freely on an end roll. Prevents damage to the “joints”. Commonly used as supports for belt return. |
| Incline conveyor |
See also decline conveyors. A conveyor with discharge higher than the infeed. |
| Infeed drive |
Belt is being driven or pushed from the loading end of the conveyor. |
| Infeed end |
The loading end of the conveyor. |
| Joint |
The bend in the wire, which in relation with another, defines a “space”. Looks like a “Z” on Flat-Flex. Point where the belt hinges. Same as Z bend. |
| Machine tooth roll |
(see also Pin Roll). The roll is a solid steel drive shaft having teeth cut into it to match the belt. Used with balanced spiral belts for direct drive. |
| Mat Belt |
Another name for Honeycomb belt. |
| Mesh |
Sizing designation for Flat-Flex belts, i.e. pitch and the wire diameter. |
| Metal fatigue |
How metals fail (and “snap”) after a period of cyclic flexing. |
| Nose bar |
A type of non-rotating end roll, usually UHMW, used for minimum diameter transfer where shaft deflection would be a problem. |
| Pitch |
The dimension from the centre of one wire to the centre of the next along the length of the conveyor (measured in mm.). |
| Pin roll |
A drive method for balanced spiral belts. |
| Polyacetal |
Ac, otherwise referred to as Acetal or POM
(or acetal) Strong, thermoplastic with low coefficient of friction. Temperature range -40°C to 65°C. Good balance of mechanical and chemical properties. |
| Reverse bend |
Same as reverse roll, or reverse shaft. The path Flat-Flex belt takes when it is flexed in the opposite direction from a normal transfer. Typically, this is a shaft used to increase the wrap around a drive or to assist the belt’s change of direction. |
| Reverse Crown |
A Flat-Flex, pre-stressed with a negative camber across the width of the belt, usually done on a “hold down” belt. |
| SLE |
Single loop edge. This is the standard Flat-Flex edge configuration. |
| Shuttle conveyor |
These conveyors constantly push the belt and then retract to discharge/drop product in lanes. Used to spread product across wide belts from a single lane product supply. |
| Space |
The distance between the centre of two adjacent belt joints or Z-bends in Flat-Flex belts. |
| Sprocket |
A machined part with any number of teeth, as on the rim of a wheel, arranged to fit and engage Flat-Flex belts. They are specifically made to fit on a shaft which together with the sprocket positively drives the belt. |
| Submerger belt |
See “hold down belt” |
| Supports |
See “belt supports”. |
| Tensile |
A measurement of the “pull” strength (to failure) of a material. |
| Tension |
A measure of “pull” in a system. |
| Transfer rollers |
Spool shaped rollers which turn freely on a shaft where Flat-Flex joints run in the groove. |
| UHMW |
Ultra high molecular weight. This is a high density polyethylene resin used in the manufacture of wear strips with excellent wear characteristics. |
| USDA |
United States Department of Agriculture. Federal agency which regulates equipment that may be employed in meat, dairy and poultry processing. |
| Wear strips |
Plastic or metal strips that the belt rides on to increase the useful life of the frame and prevent wear to the conveyor belting. |
| Wire |
Metal drawn into a very long thread or rod, usually circular in cross section. |
| Wrap |
The amount of belt in contact with the drive sprocket; normally 180°, but could range between 120 to 220°. |
| Z bend |
The bend in the wire, which in relation with another, defines a “space”. Looks like a “Z”. Point where the belt hinges. (Same as joint) |
