Cleaning Your Corrugator Belts

The Corrugator Belts thorough cleaning can help bring added life back to a very dirty belt. In some cases, a careful examination of the surface may indicate a thorough cleaning is in order to augment the daily "spot" cleaning that has been done to remove contaminants.

Moisture
The use of a steam shower will keep the belt moist and help reduce the pick-up of contaminants. With a moist belt, contaminants are removed more easily and general cleaning is reduced or eliminated.

Brushes
An automatic brush system (plastic-type bristles only) is an efficient way to prevent the accumulation of dirt and debris. A rotary brush is the norm and is usually installed just before the hot plates and applies a soft sweep of the belt with a rotary action, opposite the running direction of the belt to coincide with the on/off moisture cycle time of the shower.

Starch Accumulations
This normally happens if the belt is too dry. If the belt shows patches or clots of starch, it is necessary to remove them immediately with a scraper of some description. If the belt is moist, the starch patch can be removed easily. If the belt is dry and the starch is really sticking on, be very careful in the removal so as not to ruin the surface of the belt. You should soften such accumulations with steam or hot pressurized water first before scraping.

Wax And Coating Accumulations
When these contaminants are present, it may be necessary to remove them with high-pressure steam from a nozzle. Use the same precautions as for starch.

General Cleaning (Non-Steam)
For a deep and general cleaning of the belt, soap, and hot water is permitted. Following manufacturers, instructions found on a non-ionic, and preferably synthetic liquid detergent, spread the water/detergent solution on the belt uniformly with a scrub brush. Let the solution soak in on the belt until the particles of dirt are softened and readily removed with a high-pressure rinse. Make sure all traces of detergent are removed with the dirt.

General Cleaning (Steam)
Here you may opt to rent a commercial steam cleaning machine or contract for a carpet steam cleaning company to come in and do the job. In either case, ensure that if detergent is used, that the detergent is a synthetic non-ionic detergent, and if doing the job yourself make sure that there is no residue of detergent left on the belt. It is very important that a contractor be thoroughly briefed and made aware of the importance of non-ionic detergents and thorough rinsing with no residue remaining on the belt.

Detergents
Synthetic non-ionic detergents are necessary to ensure that damage does not occur to the belt when the belt goes back to temperature. Ionic soaps can leave crystalline and salt-like deposits on the belt that will affect quality performance and production. Powders are most likely to not mix 100% and therefore leave residue in the fibers even after rinsing, similar to ionic salts. Additionally, the above detergent residues could cause impermeable spots or hydrolysis phenomena on the belt that would affect the quality.