A leading international potato chip producer was experiencing severe operational disruptions caused by a newly installed fryer take-out belt that bunched, lifted, and failed to track smoothly.
After the original belt supplier denied responsibility, the company requested that Wire Mesh products diagnose the issue. Our evaluation identified clear manufacturing flaws in the competitor’s product—and led to a reliable, long-term belt solution.
Shortly after installation, the competitor’s chain-driven wire mesh incline belt began exhibiting a severe bunching effect: the mesh wouldn’t lay flat, spirals compacted together, and the belt moved inconsistently with abrupt stops and accelerations. These issues threatened throughput, equipment alignment, and product quality.
The original belt manufacturer attributed the malfunction to the facility’s maintenance team and insisted the belt was installed incorrectly, rather than admitting to any product defect. With production impacted and no clear path forward, the chip producer sought an independent technical assessment from WMP.
WMP conducted a full inspection of both the fryer take-out belt system and the failed belt itself. The drive system was operating as intended, and conversations with the maintenance team confirmed that installation procedures were properly followed.
To uncover the true cause, we disassembled a sample section of the damaged belt. Our analysis identified three key technical flaws in the belt spirals and mesh construction, each of which contributes directly to the bunching problem. These defects were inherent to the belt’s manufacturing—not the installation.
After presenting our findings, the original manufacturer supplied an emergency replacement belt at no charge. The chip producer, however, requested a higher-quality long-term solution from WMP.
WMP supplied newly engineered belts free from the construction issues that caused the original failure. Since installation, these belts have performed reliably, laying flat, tracking smoothly, and eliminating the bunching and indexing problems.
The facility regained consistent fryer operation, improved production stability, and confidence in a belt that meets the demands of high-volume snack manufacturing.