Faced with daily losses from product scrap, a pork producer found that one simple change led to measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, and overall plant hygiene.
Large amounts of product waste were causing major concerns for a pork producer, where hygiene and efficiency are critical to daily operations. Not only was the operation losing thousands of dollars’ worth of product each day to the floors of the plant, but the time spent cleaning the excess ground pork kept the maintenance team from focusing on more important tasks.
The homemade belt scraper they were using worked well at first, but began to fail over time, as inconsistent tensioning prevented the blade from maintaining proper contact with the belt.
A visit from the local distributor yielded a possible cleaning solution that the operation was eager to try on its . The FDA Approved FGP Food Grade Precleaner from Flexco offered an easy-to-adjust spring tensioning unit, ensuring constant blade-to-belt contact, and its simple design made cleaning and blade replacement effortless.
Plus, assembly and disassembly for cleaning and blade changes only involve snapping blades on and off the unit, making it a time-saver for the maintenance team.
The results were immediate. The FGP reduced wasted product by more than 1,400kg per day, with little to no carryback on the inclined conveyor. Scrap decreased by approximately 90 percent, significantly reducing manual bin emptying and improving overall plant safety.
An added benefit was a cleaner, drier floor surface, creating a safer environment for employees working in the area.
If businesses are experiencing similar challenges with product waste and want to improve conveyor efficiency while creating a safer, more productive environment, schedule a Waste Walk with a Flexco conveyor specialist to identify areas for improvement.
Visit www.flexco.com.au to learn more.