Frigoimpianti
(Bastia Umbra, Italy)
Frigoimpianti is a specialized Italian engineering firm based in Bastia Umbra (Perugia), designing and manufacturing industrial systems for curing, cooling, freezing, pasteurization, and leavening tunnels, particularly for food industries (meat, dairy, bakery). Though rooted in the local Umbrian region, Frigoimpianti serves both national and international food-technology markets.
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When looking to push new frontiers in spiral conveyors (particularly side‑drive and all‑plastic pasteurization spirals), they reached out to Forbo Movement Systems to co-develop prototype belts suited to their demanding environments.
Frigoimpianti required belting solutions for two challenging spiral conveyor applications:
1. Cooling / freezing spiral (side-drive motorization):
Driven via sprockets on the belt edge (side drive), eliminating the need for a central drum.
The belts must resist lateral loads, maintain stable alignment, and perform reliably at low temperatures.
2. Pasteurization spiral
Operates under elevated temperature and humidity (steam, washdown).
Requirements: heat resistance, hygiene, easy cleaning, and long service life.
The common goals were improved hygiene, lower maintenance, and total cost reduction.
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.webp "Frigoimpianti spiral installation")
To meet the customer’s requirements, Forbo Movement Systems delivered two prototype belt systems:
For the cooling and freezing spiral, Forbo supplied the S5-45 GRT G belt made of POM.
This belt operates with a side-drive (edge-drive) configuration, which eliminates the need for a central drive drum.
As a result, the overall mechanical design is simplified, leading to lower system costs and reduced maintenance requirements.
Thanks to its robust construction, the belt can withstand lateral loads and ensures stable, reliable operation even under low-temperature conditions.
For the pasteurization spiral, Frigoimpianti tested our S18-44 GRT 2.2 modular belt made of PP-SW (Polypropylen, steam and hot water resistant).
This is a fully plastic belt designed to operate in demanding pasteurization environments characterized by high temperatures, humidity, and steam.
The use of our new PP-SW material makes it possible to replace conventional metal components, resulting in a lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and easy-to-clean solution.
In this application, the spiral is driven by a central drive drum, ensuring smooth and consistent belt motion throughout the process.
The project delivered clear benefits on several levels.
By simplifying the drive system and using durable materials, Frigoimpianti achieved a significant reduction in maintenance effort and overall operating costs.
These innovations also enable the company to enter new market segments where hygienic and high-temperature conveyor solutions are essential.
For Forbo, the prototypes provided valuable technical insights that can be applied in future collaborations with other equipment manufacturers.
Two proof-of-concept installations are already in operation: the side-drive S5-45 spiral (POM) in a perfume production line and the pasteurization spiral (S18-44 in PP-SW) at one of Frigoimpianti’s customers.
Together, these results form a strong basis for future framework agreements and further system implementations.