Helados Alacant Increases Productivity with DirectDrive System

Customer Objectives

Helados Alacant’s plant in Alicante, Spain, was experiencing problems with one of its metal tensioned spirals used for freezing rectangular containers of ice cream. The metal spiral flipped multiple times a year, causing production to halt for repairs and forcing products to fall from the belt in and prior to the spiral. Helados Alacant sought out a solution to increase productivity and reduce product loss.

Intralox Execution

Having worked with Intralox in the past, Helados Alacant turned to them for help. Intralox retrofit their spiral to the Intralox DirectDrive System (DDS) with Series 2800 belting. DDS simplifies spiral operation by removing overdrive and associated controls. Common problems such as product migration, jams, and slippage are eliminated. The S2800 belt ensures improved product orientation, reduced belt tension, and longer belt life.

Results

The DDS retrofit eradicated the costly flips experienced with the metal spiral, amounting to a payback of less than one year for the investment. The Alicante plant has increased its spiral productivity by 10%, leading to an 8% decrease in indirect costs and zero instances of products falling off the belt during production. The plant expects to improve more applications with Intralox.