Everyone who's ever taken a biology class knows that bacteria are the most abundant life form on earth. But hold on, there is good bacteria and bad bacteria.

They're everywhere. But one place they shouldn't be is in the conveyor system of food products manufacturers. I once experienced a client's old conveyer that used a bucket and chain system to move ingredients through the plant. Buckets and chains, it turns out, are prime bacteria hangouts. Cleaning this antique system to the required levels for the food industry soaked up valuable man hours ... hours that couldn't be used in production. So the company asked me to come up with a solution: an easy-to-clean stainless elevating belt conveyor system that (oh, by the way) also had to negotiate a 23-foot rise in elevation at a 60° angle.

We recommended a high end stainless steel elevating conveyor system. Thanks to its configuration versatility, the conveyor made short work of the steep rise in elevation with no expansion of the existing system footprint. The FDA-approved solid urethane belt is easy to clean and works like a charm in wet or humid environments, with no hinges or pins that might make bacteria feel welcome. Like all high end conveyors, you get what you pay for in the long run through labour and downtime cost savings, rather than the short term hit of a really neat low price. The belt is easily replaced and major components can be removed without the need for specialist tools or knowledge.

Now the company's production is well within recommended sanitation guidelines. They're spending less time scrubbing nooks and crannies, and more time getting your food products ready.