Keeping the drinks flowing for beverage manufacturer

The global beverage industry is a story of continuous growth, matching an expanding human population and resulting demand. In 2018, the global beverage industry was valued at US$1,544.61 billion, with future predictions estimating further growth in the years to come.

To meet this demand, beverage manufacturers need to secure the reliability of production lines. A highly efficient production line that can provide high output is essential. It is also vital for securing profitability. Mass produced beverages offer low profit margins per unit, so ensuring reliable high output is key for manufacturers looking to maximising return.

Furthermore, many beverage manufacturers will have supply contracts to honour with businesses such as supermarkets. These are incredibly lucrative and failure to fulfil delivery quotas places these agreements at risk.

Washing it down

Combined with these demanding duty requirements, beverage manufacturers must also ensure that hygienic standards are maintained. High-pressure chemical washdowns are standard across the sector, which reduce product contamination risks. However, this can adversely affect equipment that is not specialised for these operational conditions. Power transmission components on equipment such as conveyors are particularly at risk: chains for example.

In the case of conveyor chains, repeated high pressure chemical washdowns can cause corrosion on the surface of the chain. This rust can increase chain wear in operation. Ultimately, this wear will mean that the chain fails prematurely. The resulting downtime can cause the entire production line to grind to a halt. While maintenance is carried out, production output is decreased and consequently overall profitability. Rust can also present a contamination risk to the product itself. To avoid this outcome, a specialised chain solution is required.

Beating chain corrosion

A beverage manufacturer in the Netherlands was experiencing increased wear on a lube-free chain installed on the drive of a bottle conveyor. The stainless-steel chain of the conveyor itself was subjected to a weekly washdown with an alkaline cleaning substance.

With prolonged use, the aforementioned lube-free drive chain had begun to exhibit corrosion that was increasing wear. In an effort to eliminate the problem and reduce maintenance, the manufacturer approached Tsubaki to provide a new chain better suited to requirements.

Tsubaki offers a range of conveyor chains with multiple specialisations to meet specific application challenges, including the Neptune range, said to be ideal for bottle conveyor applications.

Neptune chains feature a special surface treatment designed to resist alkaline cleaning, marine environments, acid rain and other adverse weather conditions. “Link plates, bushings and bearing pins feature two special layers to ensure maximum protection from conditions and operational wear and tear,” states the company. “The chain is also resistant to varying temperatures and excessive moisture.”

Corrosion resistance

After inspection of the conveyor, Tsubaki provided the beverage manufacturer with the lube-free RS12B-1 Lambda Neptune roller chain. “Its inherent resistance to corrosion ensured an instant improvement in reliability,” says Tsubaki. “This increased service life extended maintenance intervals, thus promoting uptime and productivity. As a result, the beverage manufacturer could capitalise on growing market demand, securing profitability. The elimination of rust ensured that associated contamination risks were effectively reduced.”