Sanitary Modular Belt Conveyors
A modular belt conveyor (plastic modular belt conveyor) runs a belt assembled from interlocking plastic modules on hinge rods, so the surface can be flat, raised-rib, friction-top, or perforated, the belt drains and grips, and it can flex sideways through curves.
AQS builds modular belt conveyors on continuous TIG-welded 304 or 316 stainless frames designed to 3-A Sanitary Standards, with sprocket-driven belts from Intralox or Habasit in FDA-approved materials. Because the belt is positively driven by sprockets rather than friction, it tracks itself, runs wet, and comes off in minutes with the hinge rods pulled for a full washdown of the frame.
The module choice is the design: perforated for drainage, raised-rib for transfers and air flow, friction-top for inclines, flat for general transport, and side-flexing for radius turns. AQS picks the belt for the product first, then sets the sprocket pitch, drive, and frame around it.
Where a modular belt conveyor earns its place
Product that drips, drains, or is hosed in place — the belt drains and the frame sheds water.
Side-flexing modules carry product through 45°, 90°, 180°, and S-curve turns on one belt.
Raised-rib modules mesh with finger transfer plates so small product crosses between conveyors without a gap.
Friction-top and cleated modules carry product up angles a flat belt cannot hold.
How AQS builds it
Flat, raised-rib, friction-top, perforated, or side-flexing modules from Intralox or Habasit, in FDA-approved acetal, polypropylene, or polyethylene for the product and the temperature.
Positively driven by stainless or plastic sprockets on a square shaft, so the belt tracks itself and never depends on friction to move.
Pull the hinge rods and the belt lifts off for a full washdown of the wearstrips and frame.
The belt rides on UHMW carryway and return wearstrips laid out for the load; the wearstrip span calculator sizes them.
Continuous TIG welds on 304 or 316 stainless with sloped members and open sides — designed to 3-A Sanitary Standards.
Gear motor with VFD or One Motion Mag-Drive hub motor with no gearbox and no oil, IP69K sealed.
Typical ranges
Every AQS conveyor is engineered to order around the product, the rate, and the room. The ranges below are typical, not limits — tell us what the line needs and we size to it.
| Belt | Plastic modular belt — flat, raised-rib, friction-top, perforated, side-flexing (Intralox, Habasit); FDA-approved materials |
|---|---|
| Configurations | Straight, radius, S-curve, incline, Z-frame |
| Frame | 304 or 316 stainless, continuous TIG-welded, sloped for drainage, mirror polish |
| Temperature | Ambient; freezer-rated build to −40 °F available |
| Protection | IP65 washdown standard; IP69K available |
| Controls | Gear motor with VFD or One Motion Mag-Drive; Allen-Bradley controls on request |
| Rating | Protects against |
|---|---|
| IP54 | Dust-protected, splash-resistant |
| IP65 | Dust-tight, low-pressure water jets |
| IP66 | Dust-tight, high-pressure water jets |
| IP67 | Dust-tight, temporary immersion |
| IP69K | Dust-tight, high-pressure/high-temp |
Size It Yourself
The free calculators our engineers use to size conveyors — belt pull, speed, throughput, and drive selection. No login; your inputs stay in your browser.
Free belt pull calculator for modular plastic belt conveyors: straight, incline, L, Z, radius and S paths, startup pull, belt check, and drum motor pick.
Free UHMW wearstrip span calculator: support spacing and end overhang from point-load deflection, washdown temperature knockdown, and creep check.
Free modular belt drive shaft calculator: square or round shaft deflection under belt pull, torsional twist, and stress against editable limits.
Free conveyor speed calculator: belt speed in ft/min from packages per minute, product length and gap, or solve for rate or gap. Gap time and transit time.
Common Questions
Tell us about your line
Send us the product, the rate, the room it runs in, and how it gets washed down. An AQS engineer comes back with a layout sketch and a budgetary range — no catalog, no sales script.
Tell Us About Your Line →