Changing for the Better

On a filling machine, a Gates PolyChain GT2 belt replaces an 80# belt

ACCORDING to authoritative statistics, China is the world's largest beer consumer market and data shows that the sales of beer exceeded 45 million kilolitres in 2010. About 350 brewery companies across China, and more new breweries are in line to begin production. Growing concern about product safety and sustainability from both the government and the whole society are leading to greater emphasis on energy savings and product safety and quality in the food and beverage industry, including the brewery sector.

In each process of beer production, there many equipment that have high energy consumption, such as malt mills, CO2 compressors, air compressors, cooling towers, air-cooling devices, and sewage treatment equipment, most of which are usually driven by V-belt. Some breweries, by successfully using Gates PolyChain GT Carbon belt, have had good results in saving energy and have also created cleaner, healthier and safer production environment.

Gates PolyChain GT Carbon belt is the most powerful synchronous transmission belt in its field. Its durable polyurethane construction resists chemical, oil, pollutant and abrasion. The patented used of carbon fibre as the tensile cord in this belt provides increased horsepower rating to greater power density and compactness and increased flexibility, allowing the use of backside idlers. Combining this belt with Gates PolyChain GT2 sprockets creates a lightweight, long-lasting, maintenance-free system that's more than a match for roller chain and V-belt.

In fact, energy consumption will come down by at least 5% at least with this carbon fibre-enhanced belt instead of a V-belt. The reason is that the PolyChain Carbon belt can improve transmission efficiency and reduce the energy loss by utilising the principle of gear engagement. The lower weight of synchronous belt also can reduce the energy loss caused by relative friction between belts and pulleys, belt flex, pulley idling, and speed loss. Due to its high strength, no further maintenance on the belt is required within at least one year.

Reformats lead to savings

In a large brewery, Gates helped a customer to reformat a 22kw compressor by replacing four original V-belts with just one PolyChain Carbon belt and a smaller synchronous pulley. After the reformat, the brewer found they achieved 10% energy savings and a bigger air volume from the fans after a period of trail runs. Such reformats not only save electricity costs, but also have the replacement expenses recovered in a short period. In a long run, the unit production cost will be effectively reduced and the energy saving goal achieved to boot.

Roller chain drives are also widely being used in beer production processes, malt warehouse conveying drives, roller conveyer lines, conveying line drivers, lift machines, bottle washing, carton packaging machines, bundlers and sewage treatment equipment – you can see them everywhere in breweries. One major disadvantage with conventional roller chain drives is that the metal chain needs to be lubricated and the lubricant – even when food grade – can pollute the final product and cause loss of product quality. Poly Chain GT Carbon belts need no lubricant and can be cleaned by water at any time. They need no further maintenance and just need to be replacement annually, leading to reduced downtime and saving a bit of labour cost. Furthermore, losses caused by the accidents because of the chain unexpectedly broken can be avoided.

Reformatting brewery equipment of by usingNike Ambassador 10