SUPPORT EFFECTIVE CHANGEOVERS
Accessible product-contact areas and suitable cleaning arrangements help manage retained material between products.
Contamination-Sensitive Materials
PROTECT PRODUCT INTEGRITY THROUGH EVERY TRANSFER
Match cleanability, product-contact materials and containment to your process.
Contamination-sensitive products need more than an enclosed conveyor. UniTrak brings together accessible sanitary designs, low-retention conveying and application-specific enclosure options. We select the equipment around your product, cleaning method and changeover requirements, helping protect material quality throughout the transfer.
Materials
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
PROTECT THE CONVEYING PATH
Choose open, covered or sealed construction around the risk of external contamination and the required cleaning access.
SELECT COMPATIBLE CONTACT MATERIALS
Match buckets, belts and other contact components to the product, operating temperature and cleaning procedure.
Materials
COMMON MATERIALS & APPLICATIONS
Contamination sensitivity occurs across many industries.
The issue is often less about the material itself and more about what the process requires before, during and after conveying.
FOOD INGREDIENTS & FINISHED PRODUCTS
Applications where allergen control, sanitation, product retention and changeover procedures influence conveyor design.
Examples include:
- Cereals and cereal flakes
- Coffee
- Confectionery
- Snack foods
- Nuts and nut-containing products
- Frozen fruit and vegetables
- Pasta and rice
- Pet food
- Bakery ingredients
- Dry food powders
- Seasonings
- Specialty food ingredients
MULTI-PRODUCT PROCESSES
Facilities handling multiple recipes, colors, grades or formulations on common equipment.
Examples include:
- Blended food ingredients
- Specialty powders
- Color-sensitive materials
- Polymer additives
- Masterbatch
- Chemical formulations
- Agricultural products
- Nutritional ingredients
HIGH-VALUE & SPECIALTY MATERIALS
Processes where even small amounts of retained or foreign material can affect product value or downstream performance.
Examples include:
- Battery-material blends
- Specialty chemicals
- Catalysts
- Pigments
- Metal powders
- Polymer compounds
- Fine industrial powders
- Specialty granules
CONTAMINATION-CONTROLLED PROCESSES
Applications where material must be protected from the surrounding plant environment or from other processes.
Typical requirements may include:
- Enclosed transfer
- Sealed conveying
- Controlled product-contact materials
- Washdown capability
- Clean-in-place systems
- Reduced material retention
- Accessible cleaning areas
- Application-specific documentation
Not every application requires the same level of sanitation or containment. The conveyor should be configured around the actual process risk.
Materials
EQUIPMENT SELECTION
Match the conveying method to the contamination risk.
Different conveying technologies address contamination-sensitive applications in different ways. The right choice depends on whether the priority is cleaning access, enclosure, product retention, washdown, material protection or a combination of these factors.
KLEANTRAK® SANITARY BELT CONVEYOR
KleanTrak combines an open stainless steel frame, accessible belt and tool-less access for regular cleaning. Optional covers protect the product while retaining access; they do not create a sealed dust-tight enclosure.
EXPLORE KLEANTRAK
TIPTRAK® BUCKET ELEVATOR
TipTrak combines gentle bucket conveying with food-contact material options, a lubrication-free beltchain and application-specific cleaning features. Clean-In-Place, washdown, cleanout and enclosed or sealed configurations are available around the process requirements.
EXPLORE TIPTRAK
POWDERFLIGHT AEROMECHANICAL CONVEYOR
Powderflight provides enclosed aeromechanical conveying with low product retention. Select product-contact construction and cleaning arrangements around the material and required changeover procedure.
EXPLORE POWDERFLIGHT
UNIFLEX FLEXIBLE SCREW CONVEYOR
UniFlex provides compact enclosed transfer for compatible powders and granules. Review product retention, contact materials and cleaning access against the process requirements.
EXPLORE UNIFLEXMaterials
MATERIAL-SPECIFIC APPLICATION CONSIDERATIONS
The contamination risk determines the conveyor design.
PRODUCT RETENTION
Material remaining inside conveying equipment can carry into the next batch or product.
Where carryover matters, conveyor selection should consider:
- Internal product retention
- Discharge behavior
- Accessible clean-out areas
- Ability to inspect product-contact surfaces
- Cleaning frequency
- Product-change procedures
Low retention can be particularly important where batches, colors, allergens or formulations change frequently.
CLEANING METHOD
The equipment must match the cleaning procedure used by the facility.
Depending on the process, this may include:
- Dry cleaning
- Vacuum cleaning
- Manual wipe-down
- Washdown
- Clean-In-Place
- Clean-out-of-place
- Removal of product-contact components
The most sophisticated cleaning system is not automatically the best solution. The correct method depends on the product, process and sanitation requirements.
PRODUCT-CONTACT MATERIALS
Bucket, belt, chute, hopper and conveyor-contact materials should be selected around the product and process.
Considerations may include:
- Food-contact requirements
- Corrosion resistance
- Abrasion
- Operating temperature
- Cleaning chemicals
- Conductivity
- Metal detectability
- Antimicrobial materials
- Stainless steel grade
Material compatibility should be confirmed for the specific application.
EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION
In some applications, the primary concern is preventing contaminants from entering the product rather than cleaning between products.
Enclosed or sealed conveying can help isolate material from:
- Airborne dust
- Plant debris
- Adjacent processes
- Moisture
- Foreign material
The required level of enclosure should be determined by the process rather than assumed.
WEAR & MAINTENANCE
Wear components can themselves become a contamination concern.
Equipment selection should consider:
- Product abrasiveness
- Component wear
- Lubrication requirements
- Inspection access
- Preventative maintenance
- Replacement intervals
The goal is to select a conveying system that can be maintained without introducing unnecessary contamination risks.
Materials
SANITARY CONVEYING OPTIONS
Cleaning access, product retention and protection from the surrounding environment require different design choices. Explore the UniTrak options that address these priorities.
KLEANTRAK CLEANING ACCESS
An open frame and accessible belt simplify access to product-contact areas during regular cleaning.
Explore KleanTrakTIPTRAK SANITARY OPTIONS
Food-contact bucket materials, cleanout access and optional Clean-In-Place arrangements support application-specific cleaning requirements.
Explore TipTrak
INTEGRATED PROCESS REVIEW
Coordinate receiving, conveying, discharge and equipment connections around the product and cleaning procedure.
Explore Integrated SystemsMaterials
ASSESS RETENTION AND DISCHARGE BEFORE EQUIPMENT SELECTION
Use material trials to observe conveying behaviour, discharge and retained product. Review the findings alongside your cleaning procedure and product-change requirements.
Materials
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes a material contamination-sensitive?
A material may be considered contamination-sensitive when foreign material, retained product, allergens, wear debris, moisture, environmental exposure or material from a previous batch could affect its quality, safety or downstream performance. The required level of contamination control depends on the process.
Which conveyor is best for contamination-sensitive materials?
There is no single best conveyor for every contamination-sensitive application. KleanTrak is often considered where frequent washdown and direct cleaning access are priorities. TipTrak offers low product retention, sanitary options and multiple containment configurations. Powderflight and UniFlex provide enclosed conveying for suitable applications. Final selection should be based on the material and process requirements.
Can TipTrak be cleaned in place?
Yes. Integral Clean-In-Place systems are available for suitable TipTrak applications. TipTrak can also be configured with washdown-duty components, drain pans, clean-out access and sanitary bucket options depending on the process.
Is KleanTrak fully enclosed?
KleanTrak is an open, accessible sanitary belt conveyor. Optional covers protect the product while preserving cleaning access. They do not provide a sealed dust-tight enclosure. Where sealed conveying is required, UniTrak can review a different construction or conveying technology.
Can enclosed conveying prevent contamination?
Enclosed conveying can reduce exposure to the surrounding environment, but enclosure alone does not eliminate contamination risk. Product retention, cleaning, seals, interfaces, upstream and downstream equipment and operating procedures must also be considered.
Can UniTrak provide stainless steel equipment?
Yes. Stainless steel construction is available across appropriate UniTrak equipment and applications. The required grade and product-contact construction should be selected around the material, cleaning requirements and process environment.
Are food-contact materials available?
Food-contact component options are available for appropriate applications, including multiple TipTrak bucket materials and sanitary belt options. The exact materials and documentation required should be confirmed for the specific project.
Can the same conveyor handle multiple products?
Potentially, but the suitability depends on the products involved, contamination risk, cleaning procedure and acceptable carryover. Multi-product applications should be reviewed carefully before equipment selection.
Can contamination-sensitive materials be tested?
Where appropriate, UniTrak can evaluate suitable customer materials using available test equipment. An SDS is required and the material is subject to safety review before testing.
Explore contamination-control and sanitary conveying resources.
RESOURCES
All About TipTrak Bucket Elevator Rubber Beltchains
Explore TipTrak rubber beltchain cleaning, washing in place and lubrication-related design considerations.
Read resource
Sanitary Belt Conveyor: Three Key Options to Consider
Learn how conveyor design, containment and cleaning access can affect sanitary belt conveyor performance.
Read resource
The Advantages of Clean-In-Place Sanitary Conveyors
Explore how Clean-In-Place design can support regular sanitation and product changeovers.
Read resource
Why Material Testing Should Happen Before You Buy a Conveyor
Learn how testing can help identify material behavior and application considerations before final equipment selection.
Read resourceDISCUSS YOUR APPLICATION
Tell us about your material and the result you need.
Share your material, required conveying rate, route and current handling problem. UniTrak will review the application and recommend equipment and configuration options around your process.
