Lines That Deliver: Conveyor Technology Driving Bakery Efficiency
In modern large-scale bakeries, conveyor systems are foundational to both product quality and operational economy. From the bake-oven belt that comes into direct contact with the dough, to hygienic spiral belts and high-throughput vibratory conveyors, every component must support efficiency, cleanliness and longevity.
Three key players—IPCO, Ashworth and Key Technology—provide complementary strengths, and their innovations illustrate the industry’s direction towards smarter, cleaner and more durable systems.
IPCO brings nearly a century of experience as the world’s foremost supplier of precision-engineered steel bake-oven belts. These solid and perforated belts are designed to endure repeated exposure to temperatures up to 450 °C while maintaining flatness, structural stability and surface consistency. A well-maintained steel belt often delivers 20 years of reliable service, and it is not unusual for properly cared for systems to remain in operation for 50 years. Compared with mesh belts, IPCO’s perforated designs reduce weight, leading to energy savings of up to 30 percent in oven reheating and drive energy. The smooth, crevice-free surface also promotes hygienic operation, minimising carbon deposits and simplifying manual and automated cleaning.
Recognising that daily operation demands effective maintenance, IPCO now offers on-site laser cleaning that can remove baked-on residue at rates of 10 to 15 square metres per hour. Delivered by technicians using a high-power laser head mounted above the moving belt, this non-contact method burns off deposits while vacuuming them simultaneously, with no downtime on adjacent lines and full production restarting immediately. The process doesn’t damage the belt surface, requires no water or chemicals, and avoids waste water or risk of corrosion. To support alignment control, IPCO’s Compact Belt Tracker system retrofits existing conveyors with a tilt-roller mechanism that responds in real time to edge sensors, delivering tight tracking accuracy and automatic tension correction—even through thermal cycles or short interruptions in power or air supply. Together, these services extend belt life while avoiding costly full replacement, typically at 25 percent less expense than installing a new belt.
Ashworth targets complex product flow and sanitation challenges with hygiene-focused spiral and belt systems. As the originator of the Lotension spiral conveyor concept, the company now offers a full portfolio that includes the newly launched Heavy-Duty Small Radius Omni-Grid 360 Weld belt—a breakthrough for tight-radius spiral or turn-curve applications with a tension rating of over 400 lb and a patented 360° buttonless weld. This design combines greater strength, easier cleaning and tighter turns in limited space. Alongside the Omni-Grid series, Ashworth’s omni-Pro and Omni-Flex belts remain strong performers, while PosiDrive Spiral belts—which use a direct, no-chain drive system—are ideal where oily, heavy or fragile products demand consistent position and reduced lateral movement under load. All belts feature coining or smooth finishes to eliminate burrs and crevices, improving sanitation and reducing wear.
Ashworth reinforces its belt solutions with real-time monitoring platforms such as SmartSpiral® for spiral systems and its newer SmartOven® system, enabling remote performance tracking and early fault detection. Their global AshPro technical service team ensures uptime through maintenance contracts, emergency servicing and belt/system refurbishment—backed by the most patents in the food-processing belt sector and expertise spanning both plastic and metal belting applications.
Key Technology focuses on high-capacity vibratory conveyors built for modern bakery and food-handling environments. Updated in late 2024, their Iso-Flo, Impulse, Zephyr and Marathon conveyors transport up to 100,000 lb (45 000 kg) per hour on belt widths exceeding three metres. These systems are custom-tuned in stroke, frequency and bed rigidity for functions like grading, aligning, de-watering or spreading—even feeding downstream sorters and packaging lines. Their open stainless-steel bed and oil-free drive design simplify sanitation, while single-motor configurations reduce energy use and maintenance compared to multiple smaller conveyors. Built in the US and Netherlands and supported globally, Key’s conveyors come with their industry-leading five-year warranty.
Together, IPCO, Ashworth and Key offer bakery processors an integrated spectrum of solutions. For direct baking conveyors, IPCO’s steel belts excel in durability, thermal performance and cleanability, while maintenance features such as optical tracking and laser cleaning preserve uptime. Where product handling, orientation and cleanability are critical, Ashworth’s spiral belts offer both mechanical strength and sanitation efficacy in tight layouts. For processors scaling volume or combining grading, spreading or washdown requirements, Key’s vibratory conveyors deliver throughput and hygiene without compromising energy efficiency or footprint.
Hygienic by Design
Beyond these specialist suppliers, hygiene-based design trends are transforming belt cleaning and maintenance across the conveyor market. Tool-free belt removal systems, such as those offered by Fortress Technology, restore alignment immediately after washdown and eliminate loss of parts during sanitation. Pneumatic belt trackers, like those from Continuous Process Solutions in the UK, maintain alignment through thermal expansion, with tracking tolerances as low as ±4 mm under environmental stress.