Heat and Control®, Inc., a world-leading equipment solution manufacturer released FastBack® 4.0’s groundbreaking horizontal motion conveying technology at Pack Expo International 2022.
Since its introduction in 1995, FastBack has brought clever thinking and design through unmatched expertise in the conveying and product handling industry. FastBack has brought unmatched benefits to the food processing markets – near zero breakage and product damage; no loss of coatings or seasonings; greatly reduced sanitation and associated down time; and quiet, smooth, and trouble-free operation proven with thousands of units for years of operation. Because of these benefits, FastBack is recognized as the number one brand in horizontal motion conveying with the highest resale value and the largest market share.
With more than 25 years and three generations of FastBack, Heat and Control takes advanced knowledge of horizontal motion conveying to the next level. FastBack 4.0 is the culmination of more 10 years of development and multiple international patents.
"Investing in continued innovation is at the heart of what we do at Heat and Control. Ensuring high performance that provides results are a priority when we undertake design development, such as FastBack 4.0," said Tony Caridis, Heat and Control, Inc. President.
FastBack 4.0 is a circular to linear drive horizontal motion conveyor, a new solution in horizontal motion conveying. A key design feature is a rotational (circular) drive motion that produces a horizontal (linear) motion. The circular to linear drive efficiency converts rotational motion into pure horizontal motion while also supporting the vertical weight of the pan. This is an innovation in design that has achieved multiple international patents and capacity that is found in no other design.
The hallmarks of FastBack horizontal motion conveying offering reduced downtime, reduced sanitation, reduced product breakage, and low conveying sound provided the industry with advantages not experienced before 1995, and FastBack 4.0 provides a new set of benchmarks for 2022 and beyond.
Blake Svejkovsky, Heat and Control, Inc. General Manager, Product Handling Systems, has been dedicated to FastBack development since the introduction of the technology and has helped brands worldwide in the snack food, french fry, meat, poultry, and seafood industries.
"The design process focused on improving sanitary conveying, regardless of if we were comparing against vibratory or other horizontal motion conveyors, we wanted 4.0 to set a whole new standard," said Blake Svejkovsky.
To help make FastBack 4.0 a reality, Heat and Control sought the expertise of world leading industrial bearing manufacturer SKF (AB SKF), known throughout the world for providing innovative design and technology solutions for equipment manufacturers. The development partnership resulted in a precise and customized application that meets the goal of transforming the horizontal motion conveying category. SKF is also able to meet growth targets across the globe with their large industrial network, a scope that supports the Heat and Control vision.
The design process focused on improving horizontal motion conveying performance and flexibility. The FastBack 4.0 is smaller and thinner to fit in a wide variety of locations, reverses instantly, giving more control over product handling, and has a 70db range. There are no pinch points or moving arms to cover and to protect which further improves the working environment. FastBack 4.0 provides higher travel rates than any other horizontal motion conveyor and a flow rate capacity of over 50 tons, the highest in the industry.
"One of the things that people notice when they see the new FastBack 4.0 for the first time is its beautiful simplicity. The team was able to expand in every way on the hallmark benefits of the FastBack product line while making it extremely simple to use, to operate, and to own. We believe this will set new benchmarks for 2022 and beyond," said Blake Svejkovsky.
When it comes to operational design goals of the FastBack 4.0, special attention was given to making it easier to own, removing the pain points that production line managers and operators face on a regular basis when it comes to maintenance, cleaning, and performance.
"Feedback we receive from plant managers and operators is often about needing to reduce downtime, and this aligned with our goal of designing the perfect system, one that becomes the perfect student and not a troublemaker, offering the highest level of operability with the lowest level of effort," said Blake Svejkovsky.
In comparison to other conveying equipment, the FastBack 4.0 features only one-third of the moving parts and offers the longest life of a horizontal motion conveyor. Maintenance is easy with only two wrench sizes required. There are no flexures, rubber bushings, or linear bearings, and periodic greasing is not necessary. FastBack 4.0 provides best in class sanitation, is easy to clean and to wipe down as it has much less surface area to clean, and handles high-pressure water cleaning (IP65).
Fastback 4.0 retains all the benefits Fastbacks are famous for, and includes:
The FastBack 4.0 was launched at Pack Expo International 2022 in Chicago in October with the FastBack 4.0 (100) which is intended for weigher feeders and other applications where a FastBack 90E would have been used. The FastBack 4.0 (100) is the first of future releases of the FastBack 4.0 drive design and capacity options/sizes are coming soon.
