LOGISTICS Snapshot: As a conveyor belt manufacturer, Ashworth Bros., Inc., Winchester, VA, works with OEMs and end-users to offer the best belting choice for cooling, chilling, and freezing applications, notes Jonathan Lasecki, director of engineering.
“By working with our customers, we can offer belting suitable for the required process, but also suitable to the specific product being conveyed,” says Lasecki. “Product size requires certain product support, and how product is removed from the belt are only a few of the considerations when choosing the best belt for a particular product. Required tension or belt strength, as well as choosing the best suitable belt material for the application, are all part of Ashworth’s belt evaluation services.”
Ashworth’s engineering design focus on maintenance and sanitation led to the development of its OG360 weld product line, says Lasecki. “This product offers a full 360˚ edge weld design that seals cracks where debris can become entrapped and difficult to remove. The OG360 design is manufactured with advanced manufacturing methods to increase belt strength and reduce belt and maintenance costs.”
Also, the SmartSprial Monitoring System is an add-on system that monitors the conveyor system on critical parameters that could reduce belt life and lead to unexpected downtime, says Lasecki. “Ashworth’s SmartSprial system tracks trending data that allow the customer to notice changes that will lead to belt and or system failure. Tracking this ‘trend data’—via your computer or smartphone—allows the customer to schedule inspections or maintenance between product runs instead of scrambling when unexpected failure occurs. This increases uptime and, ultimately, production throughput.”