A manufacturer of floor decking for semi-trailors endured laborious daily cleaning procedures due to a liberally applied industrial glue, which dripped off of the wood slats being conveyed to an assembly area. The metal chain system allowed the glue to ooze through crevices in the belt onto the conveying components below. Overnight, the glue hardened, necessitating costly daily downtime for removal.

To prevent the tenacious glue buildup, the manufacturer required a closed-surface belt with high cleanability and chemical resistance to withstand glue and cleaning agents. Habasit satisfied this requirement with Habasit Cleandrive, a monolithic belt produced in premium TPU and with a smooth, cavity-free surface. Additionally, Habasit Cleandrive exhibits excellent release characteristics, proving to be transformative for the glue-heavy manufacturer.

Once installed, the Habasit Cleandrive belt, equipped with 2-inch cleats, prevented all penetration of the glue into the conveying system. Further, the premium TPU material readily released the dried glue residue, no longer requiring a lengthy daily cleaning routine to remove.

 

Overall, the floor decking manufacturer experienced sizable cost-saving benefits by switching the old chain system to Habasit Cleandrive:

  • Cutting an estimated $150 of daily cleaning labor
  • Eliminating expensive emergency shutdowns

Total annual savings in cleaning labor exceeded $54,000.

 

Additionally, the high costs of emergency shutdowns, which occurred multiple times per year, were eliminated completely.