Metal conveyor belt questions, answered from the factory floor
A conveyor belt decides how much your line can produce and how often it stops. After years of building belts and solving problems on real projects, we have written down what we learned about choosing, specifying and replacing metal belts. We hope it saves you time and helps you avoid a costly mistake.
Every guide uses our own project photos and measurements.
Where do you want to start?
Latest updated guides
What Does Our Factory Build Into an Eye Link Belt for Washing and Blanching?
How to specify an eye link belt for washing and blanching lines: material, rod pitch, reinforcement, chain edge, sprockets, flights and a clean belt.
What Do You Need to Send to Replace a Spiral Freezer Belt?
What to send to replace a spiral freezer belt: old belt or sample, photos with a caliper, drum, turning direction, edge and drive details.
How Does Our Factory Match a Self-Stacking Belt to Your Old One?
What to confirm before ordering a replacement self-stacking belt: width, pitch, rod, guard height, turn ratio, plate gap and stacking.
How Do You Photograph an Old Conveyor Belt for a Replacement Quote?
Which photos of an old conveyor belt make a replacement quote reliable: full width, edge, pitch with a caliper, drive end and the belt in the machine.
What Does Our Factory Read From an Old Spiral Belt Sample?
An old spiral belt sample shows wire, pitch, rods and edge, but not the drum, drive, duty or wear. What to send with the sample for a safe replacement.
What 7 Things Should You Confirm Before Replacing a Spiral Freezer Belt?
Seven checks before you replace a spiral freezer belt: cause of failure, belt type, drum and direction, drive, material, delivery form and approval steps.
Replacing a belt
Old belt, samples, photos and what to confirm before you reorder.
Pickling or Electropolishing for a Self-Stacking Belt: What Do Most Orders Use?
Pickling or electropolishing for a self-stacking belt? Most orders are pickled. Electropolishing is generally limited to stack plates up to 90 mm.
How Do We Inspect a Self-Stacking Belt Trial Section Before Mass Production?
How we inspect a self-stacking belt trial section: every dimension against the drawing, edge welds and plate squareness, photos you confirm first.
SUS304 or SUS316 for a Self-Stacking Belt: What Changes in the Belt?
SUS304 or SUS316 for a self-stacking belt: which parts follow the grade, when SUS316 is worth it, how the grade is checked and what to send.
Why Does the Rod End Stop 1–2 mm Short of the Side Link Top on a Self-Stacking Belt?
Why YIYI Mesh Belt leaves a 1–2 mm gap between the rod end and the top of the side link on a self-stacking belt, where it is set and how it is checked.
Standard or Heavy-Duty Self-Stacking Belt: What Changes in the Build?
Standard or heavy-duty self-stacking belt: rod diameter 5 vs 6/7 mm, widths up to 1069 mm, guard height 60–150 mm, reinforcement and what to send.
What Do You Need to Send to Replace a Spiral Freezer Belt?
What to send to replace a spiral freezer belt: old belt or sample, photos with a caliper, drum, turning direction, edge and drive details.
How Does Our Factory Match a Self-Stacking Belt to Your Old One?
What to confirm before ordering a replacement self-stacking belt: width, pitch, rod, guard height, turn ratio, plate gap and stacking.
How Do You Photograph an Old Conveyor Belt for a Replacement Quote?
Which photos of an old conveyor belt make a replacement quote reliable: full width, edge, pitch with a caliper, drive end and the belt in the machine.
What Does Our Factory Read From an Old Spiral Belt Sample?
An old spiral belt sample shows wire, pitch, rods and edge, but not the drum, drive, duty or wear. What to send with the sample for a safe replacement.
What 7 Things Should You Confirm Before Replacing a Spiral Freezer Belt?
Seven checks before you replace a spiral freezer belt: cause of failure, belt type, drum and direction, drive, material, delivery form and approval steps.
Why Should Belt, Chain and Sprocket Be Checked Together When Replacing a Chain Driven Belt?
Why a chain driven belt replacement must check belt, chain and sprocket together: pitch, roller, centre distance, sprocket wear and what to send.
What Does Our Factory Check Before You Approve a Belt Drawing?
What to check on a custom conveyor belt drawing before you sign it: dimensions, pitch, edge, drive, material, finish, tolerances, spares and packing.
When Should You Replace a Conveyor Belt and Its Sprockets Together?
When to replace a conveyor belt and its sprockets together: tooth wear, belt stretch, drive problems and how to specify belt and sprockets as one set.
Specifications and quotes
What to send so the quote describes the belt you need.
What Does Our Factory Need to Quote a Custom Conveyor Belt?
What a metal conveyor belt manufacturer needs for a custom quote: belt type, application, dimensions, drive, material, quantity, documents and delivery.
How Do You Measure a Metal Conveyor Belt for an Initial Enquiry?
How to measure a metal conveyor belt for a first enquiry: width, length, pitch over ten pitches, wire and rod, edge, and the belt-specific measurements.
What Happens Before Bulk Production of a Metal Conveyor Belt?
What happens before bulk production of a conveyor belt: trial section, first article check, comparison with your sample, approval and what if it fails.
How Do You Keep a Belt Specification Record for Future Reorders?
What to keep on file so a metal conveyor belt can be reordered exactly: approved drawing, measured photos, material, drive data and order notes.
How Do You Specify a Spiral Freezer Belt Before Requesting a Quote?
How to specify a spiral freezer belt for a quote: material, pitches, wire, rod, width, edge, turn ratio, drum and drive, with reference ranges.
304, 316 or 310S: How Does Our Factory Confirm the Belt Material?
How to write the material line of a conveyor belt RFQ: SUS304, SUS316 or 310S, the reason, the process conditions and the documents you need.
What Decides the Cost of a Metal Conveyor Belt?
What decides the cost of a conveyor belt: belt type, material, wire and rod, width and length, edges, finish, tooling, sprockets, documents and packing.
How Does Our Factory Shorten Lead Time on a Matching Belt?
What buyers can do to shorten lead time for a replacement metal conveyor belt: complete details, fast drawing approval, saved drawings and early planning.
Choosing a manufacturer
Inspection, material control and what to check in a supplier.
How Does Our Factory Prove a New Spiral Belt Will Match?
Questions to ask before switching your spiral belt supplier: drawings, samples, material, trial section, drum test, records and how problems are handled.
How Should a Metal Conveyor Belt Be Packed for Export?
How metal belts are packed for export: cleaning, waterproof film, wooden cases, rolls, drums, spare parts, packing lists and photos before dispatch.
How Does a Repeatable OEM Conveyor Belt Supply Program Work?
How a repeatable OEM supply program for metal conveyor belts works: approved drawings, first article, repeat orders, matched sprockets and records.
How Do You Work With a Conveyor Belt Manufacturer as a Distributor?
How distributors work with a metal conveyor belt manufacturer: samples from end users, drawings for approval, trials, neutral packing and repeat orders.
How Do You Evaluate a Metal Conveyor Belt Manufacturer in China?
How to evaluate a metal conveyor belt manufacturer in China: own workshop, material control, drawing approval, trials, inspection records and limits.
How Should a Metal Conveyor Belt Be Inspected Before Shipment?
What a pre-shipment inspection of a conveyor belt should cover: dimensions against the drawing, edges and welds, flatness, turning, cleanliness, records.
Why Does In-House Wire Drawing Improve Metal Conveyor Belt Quality?
Why drawing stainless wire and round bar in-house improves metal conveyor belt quality and supply: material control, checks per batch, stock and records.
Troubleshooting
Collapse, tracking, stretch and drive problems, cause by cause.
Why Does a Spiral Freezer Belt Collapse in the Turn?
Why a spiral freezer belt collapses or folds in the turn: turn ratio, drum fit, tension, worn links and support rails, and what to send for a check.
Why Does a Spiral Freezer Belt Run Unstable or Jerk?
Why a spiral belt jerks or runs unevenly: drive engagement, worn sprockets, tension, rails and edge damage, and the checks that find the cause.
What Causes Self-Stacking Belt Failure in Spiral Freezers?
Why self-stacking belts fail: tiers not level, poor tier engagement, rubbing in the turn and deformed guards. What to check and when to replace.
Why Does a Chain Driven Belt Jump on Its Sprockets?
Why a chain driven belt jumps or skips teeth: chain stretch, worn sprockets, wrong pitch or profile, tension and chain alignment, and how to check.
Why Do Eye Link Belts Break Under Heavy Load?
Why eye link belts break under heavy load: rod size and pitch, missing reinforcement, edge and chain wear, impact and heat. What to check and specify.
Why Does a Flat Wire Belt Deform During Operation?
Why a flat wire honeycomb belt deforms: overload, wrong strip size, corner gaps, sprocket mismatch and heat. What to measure and how to specify the fix.
Why Does a Metal Conveyor Belt Track to One Side?
Why a metal conveyor belt tracks to one side: uneven width or length, diagonals, rollers out of square, sprocket alignment and uneven load. How to check.
Why Do Metal Conveyor Belts Stretch or Lose Tension?
Why metal conveyor belts stretch and lose tension: joint wear, load, heat, cleaning and drive wear. How to measure pitch growth and plan replacement.
Comparisons and selection
Which belt type fits which line.
Spiral Freezer Belt or Self-Stacking Belt: What Changes for an OEM Project?
Spiral freezer belt or self-stacking belt for a new OEM freezer: how the drum, the cage, product height, cleaning and replacement differ, with real specs.
Flat Wire Belt or Eye Link Belt: What Changes in Production?
Flat wire (honeycomb) belt or eye link belt: open area, load, product support, drive and cleaning compared, with real specs and project examples.
Chain Driven Belt or Balanced Weave Belt: What Changes in the Belt?
Chain driven belt or balanced weave belt: how drive, load, width, product support and maintenance differ, with real specs and project examples.
Welded Edge or Chain Edge: What Changes in the Belt?
Welded edge or chain edge on a metal conveyor belt: drive, load, guides, cleaning and replacement compared, with real edge types and project examples.
What Changes in a Metal Conveyor Belt for a Baking Line?
How to choose a metal conveyor belt for baking: biscuit belts, flat wire, compound and balanced weave compared for ovens, cooling and product support.
What Changes in a Flat Wire Conveyor Belt for Food Processing?
How to choose a flat wire (honeycomb) conveyor belt for food: strip size, rod pitch, openings, material, edge, finish and sprockets, with a real project.
What Changes in a Metal Conveyor Belt for a Washing Line?
How to choose a metal conveyor belt for washing and wet lines: open area, material for water and chemicals, edges, drive and cleaning, with real projects.
What Does Our Factory Build Into an Eye Link Belt for Washing and Blanching?
How to specify an eye link belt for washing and blanching lines: material, rod pitch, reinforcement, chain edge, sprockets, flights and a clean belt.
What Changes When Our Factory Builds a Heavy-Duty Eye Link Belt?
How to choose a heavy-duty eye link belt: rod size and pitch, eye-link wire, reinforcing bars, chain edge, width and sprockets, from a frying-line project.
What Changes in a Chain Driven Belt for an Industrial System?
How to select a chain driven belt: chain standard and pitch, mesh, rods, width, attachments, material and sprockets, with a real frying-equipment project.
Have a belt question that is not answered here?
Send photos of your old belt or your drawing. Sunny Ye replies with the belt that fits your line.
Send Photos or a Drawing