The holiday rush is upon us and in baking facilities, finding opportunities to keep up with high consumer demand while increasing revenue during peak season is critical. Expanding production while minimizing additional spending has been an ongoing challenge for the baking industry, and the current market dynamics have increasingly heightened this urgency.
To meet these demands, you need components and equipment that are more durable and have a longer lifespan. These solutions are essential to ensuring your facility can handle the busiest time of year and continue to perform efficiently well beyond the holiday season. Implementing solutions in your facility that will stand up to harsh and demanding environments while maximizing your throughput helps to avoid costly unplanned downtime. Upgrading your bakery processing lines can significantly boost both your operational efficiency and your bottom line.
Real-World Application: Revenue Increase of $648,000 in Baking Production with Cambridge DuraLite Belt
A baking manufacturing facility utilizing four spiral cage systems was facing significant operational challenges due to poor belt performance. Their existing system relied on a ¾" rod-only belt, which struggled in the high-demand production environment. The belt was rated for 100 lbs. of tension, which didn’t meet the facility’s high product volume needs, leading to frequent splicing and downtime. A total of 96 splices per year were required across the four systems with each instance of downtime resulting in an average loss of $9,000 per hour in revenue.
When calculated together, the annual revenue loss amounted to $864,000 due to production stoppages and the need for regular belt repairs.
To address these critical issues, the facility partnered with Regal Rexnord for a solution. The Regal Rexnord team of industry and application experts recommended retrofitting the existing system with a Cambridge DuraLite Belt. This belt features a 400 lbs. tension rating, significantly higher than the rating of the facility’s original belt. The DuraLite Belt is specifically designed to handle higher speeds and the increased throughput requirements of the production line, accommodating the facility's high product volume needs.
The Cambridge DuraLite Belt also offers the added benefit of a much longer lifespan, four times longer than the previous ¾" rods the facility was using, reducing the frequency of necessary splices and cutting down on maintenance costs. This new solution not only addressed the tension issues but also led to a more reliable and efficient production system.
Regal Rexnord
By retrofitting their existing spiral systems to the Cambridge DuraLite Belt the baking facility noticed multiple significant benefits, including:
- Expert Belt Selection: The application engineers at Regal Rexnord provided expert advice and recommendations to ensure the correct belt was chosen for the specific needs of the facility, resulting in a tailored solution that directly addressed their operational challenges.
- Significant Decrease in Splice Frequency: With the Cambridge DuraLite Belt, the facility experienced a dramatic reduction in splice frequency, dropping from 96 splices per year to just 24 splices per year across the four spiral cages. This reduced the need for maintenance and minimized the disruption to production.
- Increase Production and Revenue Gains: By reducing splice frequency and minimizing downtime, the facility saw a significant reduction in lost revenue. With the reduced downtime, the company saved approximately $648,000 in lost revenue annually* (from $864,000 to $216,000), allowing for increased operational efficiency and production uptime.
* Savings are approximate and based on internal estimates. Actual results may vary.
The facility partnered with Regal Rexnord to create a customized solution utilizing their 100+ years of conveyor system and industrial automation expertise.
Retrofitting their existing spiral cage belts with the Cambridge DuraLite Belt delivered a robust solution for the bakery that not only resolved their belt tension issues and frequent splicing challenges but also improved the overall operational efficiency of their spiral cage systems. By partnering with Regal Rexnord, the facility was able to recover lost revenue and achieve higher productivity levels through expert belt selection recommendations, reduced downtime and increased throughput, ensuring their continued growth and success.
Ensuring Consistent and Reliable Baking Operations All Year
Bakery manufacturers require systems that can ensure consistently high throughput levels and reliable functionality to maintain their product quality and meet business goals. Increasing the lifecycle of your production equipment is key to boosting production during peak season. Equipment longevity leads to decreased downtime, reduced maintenance costs and reliable production throughout the year. By investing in robust and durable equipment, bakery manufacturers can have peace of mind that their systems will make it through the most vital time of year and beyond.
