Hallamshire Engineering Services Ltd (HES), a leading manufacturer of material handling equipment and part of Group Rhodes (www.grouprhodes.co.uk), is celebrating 20 years of supplying stainless-steel drums to the food industry.

One of only a small number of conveyor manufacturers in the UK that can produce drums, pulleys and rollers in stainless steel, the company supplies both standard and bespoke sizes.

HES can trace its history back almost 300 years, and it is the original designer and manufacturer of the ‘Whittington’ spiral-wound conveyor pulley, which is widely used for applications in the food and agricultural sectors.

HES sales engineer Tony Walters said “We’re proud to have been a supplier to the food-processing industry for the past two decades.

“Being the original designer of pulleys that are widely sold into this sector means that our products are tried and trusted, and we can offer a bespoke design service to suit each individual company’s requirements.”

Conventional pulleys can suffer due to a build-up of material between the belt and the pulley, which can lead to belt wear and/or bearing damage.

The spiral pulley eradicates this problem, as it allows materials to pass through the drum and be deflected away from the conveyor.

Well-proven designs and manufacturing processes are used in the production of the pulleys, which are capable of withstanding high-belt tensions and shock loads.

Some customer applications dictate the use of stainless steel or special paint finishes/coatings, which can all be incorporated in the product design.

As an alternative to the spiral-wound conveyor pulley, HES has also developed the slatted pulley for use in situations where a self-cleaning action is required but a spiral pulley would not be suitable.