Last January, Thermex-Thermatron Systems (“Thermex”) acquired Jacksonville, Florida-based JTE Machines — reinforcing its powerful capabilities as a radio frequency (RF) and microwave (MW) technology leader. Thermex-Thermatron offers over eight decades of expertise building industrial RF and MW Systems, with customers using Thermex’s industrial RF and MW Systems to heat dielectric materials all over the world. Harnessing JTE’s reputable and leading-edge technology, Thermex continues to make advances, together serving customers across the automation, fabric, and belting industries. 

Along with Thermex acquiring JTE’s resources, including engineering, design, and automation for RF, notably, JTE is a proud long-time member of the NIBA — The Belting Association. NIBA seeks to foster shared business interests among distributors and fabricators, as well as manufacturers who deliver conveyor and flat power transmission belting along with material that elevates and changes belts. By doing so, this strengthens the key connection between conveyor belt and component manufacturers, corresponding distributors, and customers. 

Applying insights from all over the world into trusted RF Industrial Fabric technology, when a manufacturer on the production floor uses the JTE RF Belt welder, it is designed to be so seamless with ease of use, no previous RF experience is necessary. This means that any operator is able to access the precision of a global total solution at their fingertips. To assist your team in promoting safety and productivity, Thermex-Thermatron has compiled an expert’s overview of the top lightweight conveyor belt fabrication resources: 

A Cutting-Edge Conveyor Belt Welding Collaboration

Notably, partnering with JTE Machines allows Thermex-Thermatron to add over a decade of experience in the lightweight conveyor belt manufacturing industry. JTE is a fellow industry pioneer, having optimized efficiency and versatility to develop and install RF Cleat welders and tooling that have helped pave the industry forward. Economical and easy-to-use, JTE’s high-quality cleat welding enables manufacturers to drive production in a fraction of the time, all while being able to leverage sidewall, splice welding, and edge cap — utilizing a single machine. 

Traci Evling, Thermex’’s Director of Business Development, says, “Our RF welders and Hot air welders work with PVC and PU Lightweight Conveyor belts used in many applications,” noting that she has seen JTE’s “timing belts used in Industrial equipment, food and pharmaceuticals, agricultural products, and consumer facing products like treadmills, and airport luggage belts.”

“What sets our machines apart is that they have advanced controls, accommodating a wide variety of modular tooling to weld numerous types of challenging welds like finger splices, cleats, sidewalls and edge caps — all possible on the same machine,” continues Evling, explaining, “Custom automation solutions like the notching machine, modular belt cutting system, and automatic servo cleat indexer have been custom-designed and built specifically for high volume lightweight conveyor belt manufacturers.”

Discover the Conveyor Belt Welders That Can Transform Your Factory

From auto-tuning to a tool holder that permits swift cleat loading accessibility, each conveyor belt welder offers heightened fringe benefits; equipping manufacturers with the structured power needed to yield reliable distribution. 

Operating on a busy production floor, simplicity and immediacy prove invaluable. When you bring into effect world-class engineering insights through optimized machinery, you can begin to fully draw on your production line with technologically advanced facilities. Here is a guide to our series of leading conveyor belt welders — to help you adopt high-performing equipment with total confidence:

Fast-Track Impeccable Outcomes Through V-Guide Welding Systems

With a grinding wheel that supports 72” wide belts, the JTE Hot Air V-Guide Welding System is made to weld everything from endless to open belts. When a manufacturer utilizes a two-shaft synchronized roller system with a movable welding head, this allows welders to quickly and efficiently shift to meet the express welding position of the v-guide. Another advantage of using this Conveyor Belt Welding System is that removing the belt is not necessary to be able to pre-grind, for this stage is already built-in to the full-scale, adjustable solution.

Designed for multipurpose functioning, the hot air system features a PLC-controller speed, airflow, and temperature, all allowing for unique and assorted materials and thicknesses. Moreover, the start and stop developed for the foot pedal assists welders to fulfill rigorous, finely tuned precision.  

Outfitted with a sanding drum that applies a standard emery cloth paper for grinding the belts, JTE’s v-guide welder is made with a motor that powers the drum, so it can be seamlessly adapted to assorted positions across the belt. 

From Lightweight PVC Conveyor Belt Manufacturing to Lightweight PU Conveyor Belt Manufacturing, features including PLC controls; a swing-out welding nozzle; a movable welding head; V-Guide material spool; two driven press rollers with guide rollers; and power and air requirements at 230V, 25 Amps, and 110 psi at 5CFM make this innovative Conveyor Belt Welding System a highly effective asset on the production floor.

The RF Belt Welder to Ensure High-Quality Lightweight Belt Fabrication

When operating RF welding technology, the JTE RF Belt welder applies a novel standard to PVC/PU cleated belts. This is why industry leaders are gravitating towards the RF Belt Welder (6-20kw). Because no prior mastery is required, this allows any operator to easily access recipes on a touch screen (visible in full color). As such, the process becomes safer, more expedient, reliable, and effortlessly replicated, resulting in the highest quality for cleats to sidewalls. 

When welders are able to leverage a full range of sizes in addition to adjustable power, accommodating small timing belts as well as belts as large as 2.5m wide, this enhances endless and open belts. Other resources including economical modular tooling along with equipment like the JTE V-Guide Automatic Notching machine and the JTE V-Guide Welder elevate what it means for welders to operate a sharp total solution. Whether applied to PVC/PU cleats, edge caps, sidewalls, or finger splices, utilizing a Conveyor Belt Welding System eases the process for manufacturers, further optimizing throughput and consistency.  

Apply to Endless Belts to Fit Width of Machine or Longer

Potent and instrumental, the JTE Conveyor Belt Welding System offers the unique ability for customization, which is an advantage for manufacturers who need to create extra tall cleats. Featuring a Schneider PLC and HMI Touch Screen, a resource built-in for the majority of JTE Machines, the highly-engineered equipment provides 15kW in output power — set to weld up to 81 square inches on average material; including finger splices. Ready to conform to endless belts, the Welding System can fit the width of your machine or longer, at a minimum adapting to around 90” in length.

Leveraging the RF Edge Cap Welding System in the Food Safety Industry

For the Lightweight Conveyor Belt Maker, JTE has the ultimate solution, so you can meet pivotal regulatory requirements for optimum food safety: the JTE RF Edge Cap Welding System. JTE’s cutting-edge technology allows food safety manufacturers to ensure consistency, producing an essentially imperceptible edge on all PU and PVC belts — smoothly and quickly. Innovation at its most powerful, the sophisticated machine eliminates tasks that hold manufacturers back. This system cuts out the dreaded process of finishing, whether for skiving, grinding, or trimming, which as a result effectively slices the time it takes for total production.

Including a 1500 mm tool created and built just for seamless edge cap welding, JTE created the RF Edge Cap Welding System so you could master reliable, prospering cycles to boost productivity. For instance, one of these models grants you 20kW of effective output power; and this among many features are fully customizable. 

Utilizing the V-Guide Notching System to Elevate Productivity

Implementing sharp agility, this system was designed to conveniently and skillfully notch V-Guides; anything that ranges between 5mm and 15mm thick as well as 5mm and 22m wide for conveyor belt products. Manufacturers that leverage this V-Guide Notching System are able to apply the smoothness of the finished notched output’s edges for more uniformed product throughput. 

Not only is consistency a key advantage, but ramping up speed is likewise a significant asset. With a pneumatic punch that slices the notch, exhibiting a pneumatic clamp along with an index system, this highly-engineered machine propels V-Guide material along the production line — all with precise, consistent notch spacing. Additionally, with a built-in index cylinder, the machine offers an operator room to make fast, easy adjustments of the index length. 

Fully automatic, the system is user-friendly, featuring a “material-out” sensor complete with an unwind table stand. From a rewind function to rapid change guides that assist accelerated V-Guide size changeovers, created with 100V of single phase power, this is a conveyor belt welder set to advance workflow.  

Industry-Leading Resources to Take Your Operations to the Next Level

Revamping productivity with express results, introducing these conveyor belt welder tools to your business will help you master manufacturing with skill. Thermex-Thermatron is proud to help industries around the world yield better, safer products, delivering a variety of useful systems that can help you take existing processes to the next level. With premier, intelligently designed machines, you can tackle any production challenges head-on with the utmost efficiency. 

For Thermex and Thermatron inquiries, contact our Director of Sales, Dean Mancuso (dean@thermex-thermatron.com; 502/916-8972 or 502/243-5636).

For FIAB and Oteman inquiries, contact our Director of Business Development, Traci Evling (Traci@thermex-thermatron.com; 502/916-8981 or 904/662-2169).