In the Fish & Seafood Industry, speed, accuracy, efficiency, throughput, Food Safety and up-time are all of paramount importance.
Ammeraal Beltech has the right belting products (from plied Synthetic Belts to Modular Belts to ultra-hygienic Homogeneous Belts) for processing, draining or dewatering, glazing, freezing, cooking or packaging.
“Efficient, reliable and Food Safe belts for high and low temperature fish and seafood applications. From ship to shore, your catch is safe on our belts.”
Sander Bakker
Global Industry Segment Manager Meat, Poultry & Seafood
Fish & Seafood
Explore Fish and Seafood processes and our recommended products
When the seafood products arrive ashore or into trawlers at sea, the catch will be stored in holding tanks. So called ‘swan neck’ conveyors are used for transportation.
Main challenges
- Dirty / wet environment
- Belt slippage and mistracking
- Belt damage caused by sharp shells / fins
- Potential bacteria traps
- Need for easy and fast cleaning
Solutions
- Protection against harsh conditions and impact
- No absorption of liquids, oils or chemicals
- Open belts for drainage
- Positive drive homogeneous belts
- Care for high value products
Fish enter the gutting area where quality inspectors feed them into a dual-lane gutting grader. The grader weighs to high accuracy, and then automatically directs the right size and quality of fish to the optimal gutting machines.
Main challenges
- Dirty environment – frequent cleaning required
- Water has to be drained through the belt
- Belt slippage and mistracking
- Broken belts, cleats and sidewalls
- Bacteria traps – extreme hygiene is required
Solutions
- Material resistant to chlorine detergent in frequent cleaning
- Food Grade belts
- Wide range of accessories such as cleats
- Wide variety size of length and widths
- Homogeneous belt without risk of fabric contamination
- Self-tracking belts
- Hygienic design easy-to-clean
Fillet processing includes transportation, de-heading and tail cutting, equipment for gutting and skinning. The processing machines can be integrated into automatic lines, in factory installations or on board trawlers.
Main challenges
- Dirty environment – regular, intensive cleaning required
- Bacteria traps
- Impact on the belt and sharp edges
- Heavy loads
- Food Safety requirements
Solutions
- Material resistant to chlorine detergent in intensive cleaning
- Food Grade and homogeneous belts
- Cut and impact resistance
- Highest belt strength
- Blue / white belts
- Hygienic design, easy-to-clean
Further processing of seafood products can happen at large-scale factories. Depending on the product and desired end result, the seafood undergoes different processing, cutting, slicing and separation.
Main challenges
- Dirty environment
- Slippage in cold and wet conditions
- Wear problems by extensive cleaning
- Sticky products
Solutions
- Food Grade standard belts (white / blue)
- Positive drive and high grip belts
- Homogeneous Food Grade belts
- Material resistant to chlorine detergent in intensive cleaning
- Non-stick belts
Conveying systems in the Seafood Industry are hygienically designed for unpacked or packed fillets, but also for connecting crates, cartons and trays of product to a variety of production areas such as packaging, storage or further processing.
Main challenges
- Damage to belt links caused by high impact or tensile overload
- Slippage on the sprocket
- Regular cleaning requirements
- Crate accumulation
- Need for curved belts
- Inclines / declines required
Solutions
- Strong / durable belt solutions
- Easy Cleaning Belts – resistant to chemicals
- Surfaces designed for inclines, declines and accumulation
- Wide variety of accessories (cleats / sidewalls)
After washing and cooling, fish and seafood items enter the packing area. Each item is intelligently distributed to the process best suited to achieve optimum results, for example freezing, filleting or to the automatic box filling station.
Main challenges
- Ensuring efficiency, throughput and up-time
- Damage to or from trays
- Dirty environment with presence of blood and fat
- Slippage in wet conditions
- Wear problems by extensive cleaning
- Sticky products
Solutions
- Food Grade standard belts (white / blue)
- PU belts with excellent abrasion and chemical resistance
- Self-tracking homogeneous Food Grade belts
- High grip (cold & wet conditions)
- Highly elastic silicone belt cover, also at low temperatures
- Non-stick belts