Modern industrial food manufacturing is more competitive and fast-paced than ever before. When a primary production line stops during a high-demand season, reputations and major retail contracts are on the line.
A leading national bakery faced a crisis when a dense compound balanced (CB) weave wire mesh conveyor belt failed on their primary oven. They reached out to the Wire Mesh Products team for a rush job and we were able to deliver a high-quality emergency conveyor belt replacement.
The bakery’s product had become a household name and they recently completed a pilot program with a big-box retailer. Now, the pressure was on to deliver products on a national scale or risk losing millions in revenue and a priceless contract.
Unfortunately, the original belt came from an overseas supplier that provided the oven, leaving the bakery without an option for quick repair options or full product replacement.
There are very few industrial manufacturers who can produce these tight, specialized belts in the U.S., making it very difficult to find a rapid replacement.
Fortunately, the bakery had recently approached one of our partners, a large domestic original equipment manufacturer (OEM), about a quote for a new oven. When the existing belt failed on the overseas oven, the domestic OEM recommended our team as a possible solution to the crisis.
At this stage, the bakery sent us a sample of the overseas belt and reached out for help.
After examining the belt, we were able to build a structurally superior solution. We designed a custom baking band, sending sample swatches to the bakery to confirm our belt would successfully bake their product.
To match the bakery’s distinct product “burn mark” (the unique profile left on the physical product by the baking process), our technicians precision-flattened the round wire using specialized rollers. This process created the exact flat surface area required to leave a uniform, signature aesthetic finish on the baked goods.
After testing and approving the initial design samples, the bakery stated that they needed the belt “yesterday.” The earliest timeline we estimated that we could offer them was twelve weeks, or if pushing the absolute limit, six to eight weeks.
Prioritizing their nationwide retail rollout, the bakery offered to pay any fee we would name to accelerate the process. As a family-owned business with decades in the industry, we prioritize integrity and excellence above everything else.
In order to help our new client, we cleared our schedule and got to work. The outcome? We completed a large 200-foot, 120-inch-wide belt in just four weeks.
The new belt was installed on time, allowing the bakery to meet its nationwide rollout deadlines and satisfy peak demand with zero retail penalties.
The custom wire mesh solution tracked perfectly straight and successfully eliminated the vulnerabilities of the imported belt.
Impressed by the quick turnaround and transparent business practices, the national bakery ordered backup belts for all ovens and after an in-person site visit from one of our experts, we were asked to make additional belts on multiple production lines.
Contact our specialists today for a comprehensive belt analysis.