Steel belt systems are used for continuous production processes in many industries such as chemical, food, wood processing, original equipment manufacturing, mining and transportation. This is because steel belts are corrosion resistant, highly durable, and can endure constant exposure to high temperature and hostile environments. Proper maintenance of steel belts and steel belt systems is vital to continued operation and longevity. Steel belt systems also increase profits by reducing downtime and maintenance cost and almost every industry today has incorporated it into their transportation regime.

While several companies manufacture steel belts and steel belt systems, one company stands out among them because of its experience of over 90 years, innovative approach, and extensive services. Meet Berndorf Band Group.

Berndorf Band Group is a renowned full-service provider for steel belt supported processes. The Gilberts, IL-based company is an international manufacturer of steel belt, belt systems and supporting components. The company's wide range of services includes planning, engineering, construction, and servicing of customized processing systems. Currently, Berndorf Band Group has over 400 employees worldwide and has offices strategically located in Asia, Europe, and North and South America.

Berndorf Band Group provides premium-grade steel belts and comprehensive solutions for steel belt systems, encompassing engineering, services, and customer care. The company's comprehensive ranging solutions are incorporated in production and conveying processes found in several industries. "Due to our vast experience and the constant coordination with our customers, we can build and deliver process systems on a global scale that are both all-inclusive and fully customizable," explains Dr. Jeffrey Ahrstrom, President, Berndorf Band Group. The company caters to automotive, baking, chemical, film and foil, rubber and plastic, woodworking, laminate, food, paper and pulp, and transport industries. Some of the products delivered by the company include steel belt cooling flakers and cooling pastillators for various applications, powder coatings, sulphur solidification packages, freezing conveyors, continuous belt reactors, and feeding devices and discharge devices for steel belt machines.

From Ideas to Production

The qualified specialists at Berndorf Band Group provide customers with the advice and support required to turn product ideas into reality. Combining skilled experts with cutting-edge technology enables the company to lay the perfect foundation for the design of a customer's future production processes. Berndorf Band Group's engineering team makes a visit to a client's site if possible to perform an assessment of their facility and ensure their belt system parameters (production speed, temperature, profile, etc.) are feasible. Size is an important factor to consider, along with the materials used while developing the steel belt system. The design process is followed by installation, and Berndorf Band Group's technicians remain onsite to make sure that the steel belts are running optimally as intended. In addition, the company offers training to help clients with maintenance and upkeep of the equipment and make manual repairs if required. "Our foremost objective is to provide dynamic services and technical tools needed to tackle problems such as belt damage or other process disruptions and thus restore optimum productivity," adds Dr. Ahrstrom.

Extensive Service Network and Comprehensive Training

Berndorf Band Group's steel belt systems are custom built; the company doesn't offer clients what it sells but instead provides products they need according to their input.

Due to our vast experience and the constant coordination with our customers, we can build and deliver process systems on a global scale that are both all-inclusive and fully customizable

And with a team of experienced specialists, the company is able to provide clients with the most appropriate solutions. Most Berndorf Band Group's clients are repeat customers that have been in a successful partnership for several years, and therefore, when they require new equipment, the process is streamlined. Berndorf Band Group also provides an extensive service network to ensure clients operations run at the highest productivity possible and avoid losses from downtime. The service network performs tasks such as repairs, inspections, maintenance, and training for all types of belts worldwide. Certified technicians can travel onsite to clients' locations to guarantee that steel belt systems and steel belts constantly remain ready for use.

Berndorf Band Group has dedicated training centres in its headquarters in Austria, and throughout the world to help individuals hone their practical steel belt skills under real-world conditions. These classes focus on the latest repair methods for all types of steel belt applications and can be customized according to a learner's requirements. Certificates are awarded for successfully completing the training classes and for clients that prefer training on their premises, Berndorf Band Group provides a mobile training center. Its compact design, along with a sophisticated belt tensioning system facilitates a steel belt training course for up to two individuals. This allows training to be conducted at a client's site in a familiar environment and, at the same time, address practical problems. In fact, Berndorf Band Group's employees also undergo training in the same training centers to remain updated with the latest technologies.

Assisting Clients during the Pandemic

While many companies shut down due to the pandemic, Berndorf Band Group being an essential services provider, continued to function. This was mainly due to chemical, food, and wood industries remaining operational and requiring servicing to their belt systems. Standard part replacement orders decreased during the period, but Berndorf Band Group continued to manufacture belt systems as the food industry, particularly the bakery section, increased production. A customer in California required repairs in one of their belt systems and they placed a request during the holidays. Berndorf Band Group was able to deliver the replacement parts within three days, accompanied by a service technician. Prompt response times is one of the company's unique value propositions, and due to an extensive service network, technicians can arrive to a client's facilities within a short time.

What Lies Ahead

Moving forward, Berndorf Band Group intends to continue enhancing its steel belts and steel belt systems. Such innovations are designed to help clients save resources and generate greater profits and are also a result of feedback from customer demands. Alongside technological innovation, Berndorf Band Group places great emphasis on sustainability and quality. The company's steel belts systems are manufactured according to the strictest environmental standards, buillt with particular attention to factors such as low energy consumption. This also ensures sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle of the machine. Leveraging the latest technologies and continuously developing new service equipment, Berndorf Band Group offers the complete steel belt solution.