ENHANCING THE EFFICIENCY OF SPIRAL CONVEYOR BELT CLEANING USING ULTRASONIC TECHNOLOGY

In the food industry, particularly in the processing of fresh-cut and frozen chicken products, the European Union (EU) is a major export market with stringent hygiene and food safety standards. Maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of production equipment is crucial. Spiral conveyor belts, commonly used in chicken processing, often accumulate grease, oil, starch, and chicken residues, which can harbor microorganisms. Currently, high-pressure water jetting combined with cleaning agents is widely used but has several limitations. This study introduces ultrasonic cleaning technology to examine the effects of the cleaning medium type, medium temperature, and cleaning duration on cleaning efficacy. Experimental results show that using ultrasonic technology at a frequency of 40 kHz, power of 200 watts, and RO water at 55 °C can fully clean a 15.75-meter conveyor belt in 4.5 minutes. When applied to a 350-meter conveyor belt, cleaning time is reduced from 100 minutes to 50 minutes, increasing production capacity by approximately 63 tons per month and saving water costs. This demonstrates that ultrasonic cleaning technology is highly efficient and can be practically implemented in industrial settings.