Radius, S-Curve & 180° Belt Conveyors
A radius belt conveyor (also called a curved belt conveyor) carries product around a turn on a single continuous belt, so a 45°, 90°, 180°, or S-curve path needs no transfer plate, no gap, and no second drive.
AQS builds radius conveyors on continuous TIG-welded 304 or 316 stainless frames with side-flexing modular belt from Intralox or Habasit, or a radius flat belt where the product needs a smooth surface. The frame is sloped to shed water, the guide rails are curved sanitary stainless, and the belt rides on curved UHMW wearstrips — the same construction standard as every other AQS conveyor, designed to 3-A Sanitary Standards with FDA-approved contact materials.
The inside radius is set by the belt's collapse factor, not by the frame, so the tightest turn a line can make depends on the belt AQS selects for the product. That choice, and the pull the drive has to overcome through the turn, is worked in the belt pull calculator below.
Where a radius belt conveyor earns its place
A 180° turn brings product back alongside the infeed, so a long line fits a short room and one operator can reach both ends.
S-curves and 90° turns route product around fillers, checkweighers, and columns without a transfer at every corner.
Curved sections connect straight runs on different walls of a packaging area with one belt and one drive.
Where washdown access matters, one curved conveyor replaces two straight conveyors and a transfer that would need its own cleaning.
How AQS builds it
Modular side-flexing belt from Intralox or Habasit flexes through the turn while the outside edge is held by the frame; a radius flat belt is used where the product needs a closed surface.
The belt runs on curved UHMW wearstrips machined to the turn, with curved stainless guide rails that keep product on the belt through the corner.
The minimum inside radius is the belt's collapse factor times its width. AQS selects the belt for the product first, then sets the turn.
Continuous TIG welds on 304 or 316 stainless with sloped frame members so water sheds through the turn instead of pooling on a flat ledge.
The drive pulls the belt through the turn from the discharge end, keeping the tight side of the belt where the load is and the return path clear for cleaning.
IP65 washdown as standard, IP69K frames and components where the room is hosed at high pressure and temperature; freezer-rated builds to −40 °F are available.
Engineering render
Engineering renderHow the AQS spline backbone compares with welded box frames and tube spines on a curved, washdown conveyor: read the white paper, Three Ways to Hold Up a Conveyor →
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.
| Turn angles | 45°, 90°, 180°, and S-curve (two opposed turns on one belt) |
|---|---|
| Inside radius | Set by the belt's collapse factor — engineered per belt and width |
| Belt | Side-flexing modular (Intralox, Habasit) or radius flat belt; FDA-approved materials |
| 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 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.
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.
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 →