Specialty Belts for Distribution Centers

Speed, efficiency, and accuracy – achieving all of these is the ultimate objective of the modern material handling systems found in distribution centers across the globe. Specialty conveyor belts – conceived, engineered and manufactured by Nitta Corporation – can be found in many of these distribution centers. PolySprint, Nitta Corporation’s elastic series of conveyor belts, represents the industry’s leading-edge technology designed specifically for the high-speed systems found in today’s DC’s.

MDR (motor-driven roller), Belt on Roller, Gapper, and RAT all reference specific belts at critical points in the conveying circuit. The Motor-Driven Roller and Gapper sections require a belt with a unique combination of elasticity, durability and friction coefficient in order to move packages of varying weights and geometry in tight sequence at speeds ranging from 200 to 650 FPM. The belt’s elastic properties enable the system engineers to avoid the use of take-ups, thus reducing space, expense and installation time.

Nitta PolySprint conveyor belts are offered with a range of cover embossment patterns: Smooth (TC and TA12-BK), mini-roughtop (SNTC-TW18A), and Longitudinal Rib (SNTC-RB22A). While the competition may offer a similar profile, only Nitta provides these elastic belts with Polyurethane covers. PU covers are more abrasion- and oil-resistant than the PVC belts of our competitors, which means that Nitta belts yield longer service life.

Applications for Nitta’s TA12-BK can be found on many belt-on-roller (MDR) conveyors. For line segments involving an incline or decline conveyor, our SNTC series with embossed covers are recommended.

For Right Angle Transfer (RAT) belt applications, we recommend the Nitta PolySprint TFL series; these belts are not elastic but are made endless with finger splice technology. The TFL belt will yield superior service life and greatly reduce the system’s PM cycle.

The Nitta product guide for distribution center applications can be found here.

For more information on how Nitta can help with solutions, improvements and documented cost savings for material handling systems applications, please contact us today.


Belt Covers: The Wear Element That Protects Your Investment

Ask any machine operator in a paper converting operation what their biggest belt-related concerns are, and they are likely to respond with “belt cover durability” or “the tendency of a particular belt to mark or scar the product being conveyed.” Their ideal cover would be a “non-marking, non-tearing cover” that does no damage to the paper product being manufactured and provides long term resistance to wear.

Typically, abrasion resistance might be considered synonymous with a hard durometer finish, but in the case of Nitta Corporation’s proprietary blended carboxylated rubber compound, an abrasion-resistant soft durometer rubber cover is paired with our integrally one-piece solid nylon core, resulting in unequaled service life and productivity.

One of the largest users of paper handling equipment in the world is the United States Post Office. In 2018, the USPS awarded Nitta Corporation an increase to our contractual supply agreement based on the comparative service life of our belt products versus those of our competitors. In addition, Nitta’s range of paper converting specifications is in use around the world and is recognized as the default standard in paper manufacturing and converting sites.



Nitta Corporation of America’s plant in Suwanee, Georgia, an ISO 9001:2015-certified manufacturing facility, mixes and extrudes our rubber on the plant premises; we are in control of every step of the manufacturing process. Our unique manufacturing process and rubber compounding ensure that the proprietary covers produced for our PolyBelt nylon (skive splice) and PolySprint polyester (finger splice) belts are the best available anywhere in the world. Nitta: the one and only, featuring PolyBelt nylon core and finger-spliceable Polysprint range made in the USA.


Puller Belts

In 2016, Nitta Corporation acquired our company, Connect Conveyor Belting, Inc. (CCB), which has been manufacturing custom belting solutions for the Wire and Cable, Plastic Extrusion and other Extruded Products industries for many years from our facility in Milton, Ontario, Canada. At the request of our fellow Nitta division, Nitta Corporation of America (NCA), we would like to take this opportunity to introduce our company and provide insight into our product offering.

During our time working within this specialized industry, we have learned that not all extrusion or puller applications are alike. Many factors contribute to proper material selection: temperature, environment, the material being pulled (extruded), speed, the presence of oils or solvents, and more. With our experience and expertise in this area, we can work with you to determine what would be the optimal material selection for your application. This will provide the best belt for both performance and longevity. This approach — of Nitta working with the end user to correct issues and solve problems, with the goal of measurably improving return on investment (ROI) and lowering total cost of ownership (TCO) — is known throughout the industry as “The Nitta Advantage.”

Where Our Products Are Used

We can supply belting products for many of the standard OEMs, such as: BARTELL, BASTON, BATTENFELD, BAUGHAN, BERGMANN, BOSTON MATTHEWS, CALMEC, CDS, CEECO, CINCINNATI, CONAIR, CORTINOVIS, DAVIS STANDARD, ESI, FARRIS, FRANCIS SHAW, GATTO, GAUDER, GINES COLL, GREINER, HUBART FLAMANG, IDE, KALMARK, MALI, METAPLAST, MGS-HALL, NEXTROM, NOKIA MAILLFIER, PERFORMANCE HAUL-OFF, GILLARD, PIONEER, POURTIER , PPTG, PRANDI-MARRO, RDN, ROSENDAHL, ROTEQ , SICA , SKET, SMD, SPEEDEX, STOLBERGER, TECHNOPLAST, TROESTER, TULSA EQUIPMENT, VERSA, VOBAU, VULCAN, WATSON and WEBSCHER.

If you don’t see your manufacturer in the list above, don’t worry, we can still help!

How We Can Help

CCB sees a lot of applications in the field, and some of the common issues that we have encountered with our competitors’ products have included edge fray, tracking issues, delamination and rubber being transferred to the idler pulleys and equipment. See below for some images of competitive products with these issues and in the third image bearings becoming seized, caused by stringing from the base belt:

These kinds of belting failures can cost thousands in downtime and cleanup. CCB has solutions to these and other issues and can work with you to establish a documented cost savings program to prove the value of our products.


Wire Association and Interwire

We will be featured in the upcoming January issue of the Wire Journal International: https://www.wirenet.org/. Be sure to look for us there.

Looking ahead, we are pleased to be exhibiting at the Interwire show in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia World Congress Center in May of this year (https://www.interwire19.com/ ). We are very excited to participate in this event, as it will take place in NCA’s own home state, where their Suwanee facility is located. Please come see us at Booth 150!

For More Information

If you would like to know more about CCB, you can learn about us on NCA’s website (https://www.nitta.com/products/belting/haul-off-puller-seamless-extrusion/ and https://www.nitta.com/2017/01/nitta-acquires-connect-conveyor-inc/) and on our own website at https://www.connectbelting.com/.

With Nitta Corporation of America manufacturing belting products in the USA and Connect Conveyor Belting, Inc. fabricating custom conveyor solutions in Canada, we can say without reservation say that Nitta offers a truly North American-made product. This sets us apart from many of our competitors, who rely on overseas manufacturers to supply their products, resulting in increased delivery times and delayed responses.

Please contact or connect with us today to experience The Nitta Advantage!


PolySprint for Corrugated Box and Folding Carton

Whether for display or shipping, packaging is an essential requirement for the delivery of goods to industry and consumers. The machinery that manufactures and assembles this packaging requires specialized belting with high durability and properties that keep production speeds up while preserving the integrity of the material being processed. Nitta offers a full product range designed with these applications in mind, including belts from our PolySprint line with the advantage of quick and smooth endless joining by finger splice. A few of our PolySprint specifications for corrugators and folder-gluers, Flexo types in particular, are highlighted below.

 

 


RT-22E70-2:

Nitta’s RT-300 Blue Roughtop belt, well known for its outstanding performance characteristics on Flexo folder-gluers, is now available in a finger-spliceable version, eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners. As the belt speeds on modern folders approach 3,000 feet per minute, the ability to consistently achieve a superior belt splice through vulcanization is now possible with another innovation from Nitta. Improved flexibility enables our belt to navigate around smaller diameter pulleys than other belts in its service class, hence resisting splice fatigue which leads to splice failure. RT-22E70-2 is yet another example of Nitta’s unmatched technical expertise in new product development.

The application possibilities for Nitta’s RT-22E70-2 and other belts in our PolySprint range are not limited to high speed Flexo folders. Any industrial process that can benefit from eliminating mechanical fasteners as a means of improving service life, Total Cost of Ownership, safety or plant DB levels, is a candidate for this remarkable innovation in belting. It should be noted that when necessary for the application, mechanical fasteners can be used on RT-22E70-2 material.

XH-8E30, 40 & 55:

Finger-spliceable equivalents to the Nitta XH-500 and –750 series, the default standard for folder-gluers. These belts come with the proven performance of Nitta’s proprietary Carboxylated Nitrile: superior abrasion resistance, in combination with a soft durometer finish, yields a long-life, non-marking, non-tearing, energy-efficient belt for a wide variety of paper converting applications.

XHTG-15E34:

Another step in the evolution of belt design, the finger-spliceable equivalent to Nitta’s “GH” series, this belt is an excellent choice for the Under-Stacker or Counter-Ejector sections on box folding lines. Also provided with Nitta’s “do everything” Blue Nitrile rubber covers.

High Speed Flexo Folders:

Mitsubishi (Evol), Isowa and Latitude, among others, are manufacturers of the new generation of high-speed Flexo folder-gluers. The new performance standards of high-speed folders require belts with unique properties: flexibility, load capacity and an abrasion-resistant yet soft top cover that will yield positive product orientation and unmatched service life.  Featuring the ability to eliminate mechanical fasteners, thereby reducing noise while prolonging service life, the distinguishing performance criteria inherent in the Nitta brand are exemplified in our finger-spliceable PolySprint products. We welcome comparison to the products of our competitors; given the opportunity, we will clearly demonstrate the superior service and performance characteristics of our entire paper converting product range.  For additional information on the Nitta product range, please refer to our website: www.nitta.com

 


There is much more to come. If any of your enterprise components depend on belting to achieve your production goals, you should consider the value proposition of the belt products designed and manufactured by Nitta Corporation of America at our ISO 9001:2015-accredited manufacturing facility in Suwanee, Georgia.


Nitta Carryflex (CFTG)

Nitta CarryflexCarryflex is a unique range of special purpose belts with a high load capacity aramid (Kevlar) cord carcass strength member encased in Nitta’s classic blue polyurethane. Available in a range of widths up to 60mm wide, these belts can support working loads far exceeding those of the competition: compare the 0.5% tension load of over 1,100 lbs. per inch width to that of competitive products.

The superior tension rating of Nitta’s belt is also an indicator of inherent resistance to belt stretch. As belts stretch, they often must be shortened and re-spliced, which leads to lost production and marginalized system efficiency. Nitta’s aramid carcass possesses stretch resistance and load carrying capacity far beyond that of any other belt on the market. Our belt rarely needs to be re-spliced due to stretch, making it the optimum delivery component on your system. In addition, Nitta Carryflex belt design mandates a totally encapsulated fabric, meaning our belts do not fray or string (a leading cause of conveyor roller failure).

Sortation & Strip-sort Conveyors

Modern Distribution Centers (DCs) utilize sortation conveyors to route packages to a specific staging area for shipment. There are literally miles of these type belts in a DC — narrow width, high-strength conveyor belts, a critical component of an efficient delivery system. Nitta engineers have designed Carryflex belts with polyurethane covers as well as our wear-resistant blue carboxylated nitrile top cover. We can custom build a belt to your specific requirements; contact Nitta to arrange a consulting session.

Live Roller Applications

Another critical conveyor component in distribution centers, these belts convey boxed goods down-line 100 meters or more to staging points for shipment to retail centers or consumers. Nitta’s Carryflex belts, available in a wide range of load carrying capacity and top cover options (polyurethane or our proprietary carboxylated nitrile), provide the ultimate in reliability and performance.

Overhead Conveyor  

CFTG-18SG (Soft Guide) belts are extruded urethane with an integral v-guide for protection against mis-tracking and resultant damage to the belt. The guide portion of this one-piece extrusion is of a softer durometer urethane than the top portion of our belt, increasing flexibility and service life — another example of unmatched engineering expertise.

 

All Carryflex series belts are designed to be vulcanized endless. Nitta Corporation manufactures a complete range of equipment to insure optimum installation and years of reliable service. The entire range of Nitta Carryflex belts are made at our United States manufacturing facility in Suwanee, Georgia .

Contact us with questions or refer to our website for further information.

 

 


3 ways Nitta belts improve distribution center efficiency

In large distribution centers, miles of conveyors are essential to moving goods out the door quickly. Speed and parcel orientation are of paramount importance, and the precise routing of individual packages is critical. Much attention and careful design go into the layout of a distribution center: at various stages in the conveyor system, belts with unique properties are engineered to meet the specific function requirements of a particular station.

Maintain conveyor speed and accuracy with belt properties that meet the requirements

How important is the orientation of each container on the belt? In the “Gapper” section, belts will be regularly cycled in a range from 0 to 200 to 600 feet per minute. Under these extreme conditions, Nitta engineers calculate the effect of “G” force on products conveyed. A single basic belt type cannot meet all requirements.

Within the same distribution center, different conveyor areas require different belt properties. For example, incline and feeding areas require a high coefficient of friction. All the while, strength and flexibility are of paramount importance. Nitta’s Carryflex (CFTG) series combines the load carrying capacity of Aramid fabric (Kevlar) and Nitta engineering, resulting in the best performing belt for the Sortation conveyors found in every distribution center.

Increase conveyor efficiency with a belt construction engineered for a specific function.

The “Gapper” sections of today’s DC conveyor systems consist of a series of short, individually powered segments that function to create physical space between individual parcels, enabling photoelectric scanners to read and identify each container and route it to a designated collection point for shipment to a particular destination.

Due to the high cycle rate and speed requirements (0 to 600 feet per minute), Nitta has developed a series of belts with elastic properties (PolySprint), the selection criteria for which include the calculation of load, friction coefficient, and G-Force – all to precisely position the parcels being moved downline.

Reduce total cost of conveyor belt ownership by solving and preventing problems

Nitta’s belt specialists know how to match core material, cover material, and belt design to meet the specific needs of each part of a conveyor or machine. Nitta experts have extensive experience in all types of industrial belting and conveyor systems.

Whether a distribution center requires help troubleshooting specific issues such as product positioning, tracking problems, intermittent slipping, cracking, scaling, etc., or needs a recommendation for a new installation or retrofit, Nitta technical specialists can provide the needed expertise.  A Nitta belt specialist can consult with a distribution center manager to troubleshoot problem areas and identify opportunities to improve conveyor performance with specialized belting. Nitta offers a wide selection of conveyor belting with a variety of cover materials to provide the strength, durability, and special properties required for each application.

Nitta:  Invention and Innovation

All Nitta belts undergo rigorous testing and meet stringent quality requirements with guaranteed performance. The Nitta Corporation of America is certified under ISO 9001:2015. We stand out because your solution is custom formulated and manufactured to your unique specifications.Research and development and product innovation are Nitta’s strengths. When Nitta engineers discover an application that requires a belt that doesn’t exist, they can design it with the necessary strength members and core material at Nitta’s in-house facilities. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing plants located in the United States, Europe and Asia, in combination with an unmatched commitment to research and development, have placed Nitta at the forefront of the evolution of logistics industry conveyor belt technology.

To find out how Nitta can improve your distribution center efficiency with high-performance conveyor belting, please contact our Inside Sales Department at (800) 221-3689, (770) 497-0212, or csales@nitta.com,and one of our friendly, helpful representatives will promptly put you in touch with Nitta’s District Sales Manager for your area.

We welcome your feedback and invite you to reply to this post. For more information on Nitta and Nitta products, please visit our website at http://www.nitta.com, and please be sure to Follow/Like us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.