Blog post from Marathon

What are the advantages of using textile belts compared with metal conveyor systems?

Technical textile fabrics and belting, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures, are being used to process fragile glass articles in the glass industry.  But why have they become so popular for processing delicate glass components and how do they compare with a metal conveyor system?

The fact is high temperature belting and fabrics are a perfect fit for processing of thin, fragile glass components and products.  Use of these materials leads to production cost savings (due to energy and reduced downtime savings), better product quality, improved operator working conditions and easier maintenance and repair.  But that’s just the start.

Fabrics are highly durable and proven to perform over extended periods

Many factories choose to work with a high temperature textile belt given its thermal shock resistance.  This leads to a reduced level of damaged glass products and defects given the soft contact properties of belts and wear pads.

Textile belts are generally cleaner and greener for the working environment too given the absence of pre-heating burners that are often introduced along the length of production lines to overcome the incidence of thermal shock of metal conveyors.

Removing pre-heating burners from the process leads to a reduction in energy consumption and cost, which is better for finances and for reducing the carbon footprint of the glass factory.

Textile belting is also virtually silent whilst running, and very low maintenance in comparison to metal conveyors.  They do not need ongoing lubrication and when maintenance is necessary, it is often easy and fast to address.  But perhaps one of the key benefits is that because of the soft contact of a textile belt, there is a reduction in the marking/checking of glass articles

Customised solutions can help to secure greater efficiencies and savings

Bespoke solutions are also possible with textile belts given they can be designed to respond to individual plants and processes, helping to save costs and introduce efficiencies over time.

Want to tap into our knowledge about high temperature performance textiles for the glass industry and what they can do for your business?

Marathon Belting is a world-class, performance textiles business.  Our technical textile product solutions are used for demanding applications in multiple industries across the world. We are up for a challenge, so if you have one, please contact us by telephone on 01706 657052

Advanced performance textiles for industrial applications