Friction Drive Conveyor Belts

Ashworth Straight Running Friction Driven Belts are woven wire belts that are drum, as opposed to sprocket, driven. Within this product grouping are a host of woven wire belts, ranging from the simplest, conventional weave designs, to the most complex, tightly-woven compound balance weave belts

Why Choose Metal Straight-Running Belts?

Superior durability & load capacity – Metal belts withstand heavy loads, sharp edges, extreme temperatures, and high cycle counts. For example, woven mesh or flat-wire metal belt constructions.
Open-area design for airflow, drainage, freezing/cooling – Metal weave and mesh belts allow air or fluid to pass through, ideal for baking, conveying cooling tunnels, freezing and drying.
Hygienic/high sanitation capability – Stainless steel belts are preferred in food, pharmaceutical, and wash-down environments because they can be cleaned, sterilized, and don’t degrade like fabric/plastic.
Precise tracking and minimal stretch – Straight-running layouts benefit from belts with controlled tracking, minimal drift, and stable operation.
Simplified system layout – For facilities that don’t require spirals or curves, a straight-running belt simplifies design and maintenance.

Friction Drive Belts – Woven Wire Conveyor Systems

CB5 Baking Band®
Premium friction-driven baking belt offering excellent gas relief and stable product support for all but the most fluid dough types. Its uniform heat transfer and even performance make it a top choice for bakery ovens and continuous baking lines.

Learn more about CB5 Baking Band® conveyor belts optimized for uniform heat transfer and consistent straight-run baking

WG Woven Wire Conveyor Belts
Heavy-duty woven wire belts featuring a closed mesh surface for strong, flat, and supportive conveying. Designed for friction-driven straight-running systems, these belts excel in food processing, cooling, and industrial material handling.

Explore WG Woven Wire Conveyor Belts offering strong, flat straight-run conveying in friction-driven systems

Balanced Weave Conveyor Belts
Engineered woven wire belts with balanced mesh construction for strength, stability, and support in drum-driven conveyor systems. Ideal for high-temperature, precision handling, and continuous processing industries.

See Balanced Weave Conveyor Belts designed for stable straight-run conveying in drum-driven processing lines

Woven Wire Conveyor Belts
Reliable straight-running friction drive woven wire belts providing a closed mesh surface with excellent support and durability. Widely used across food, packaging, and manufacturing applications where flat, dependable conveying is required.

Learn about Woven Wire Conveyor Belts that provide dependable straight-run conveying with closed-mesh support

Conventional Weave Belts
Traditional woven conveyor belts designed for use over straight-faced terminal pulleys. These belts offer proven performance in standard conveyor systems and require minimal maintenance in demanding operational settings.

Explore Conventional Weave Belts suited for proven straight-run conveying over standard terminal pulleys

Z-Baking Belts
Open-surface baking belts featuring a Z-style weave that supports direct baking on the belt. Perfect for cookie, cracker, and bakery applications requiring even heat distribution and product release.

View Z-Baking Belts developed for direct-contact straight-run baking with even heat exposure

Compound Balance Weave Baking Band
Advanced friction-driven baking belt with compound weave for exceptional gas relief, support, and heat transfer across a wide range of bakery products. Engineered for consistency, strength, and high throughput baking operations.

Learn how Compound Balance Weave Baking Bands support precision straight-run baking with maximum heat transfer

Selection Guidance:

Determine your belt width, load weight, product size, speed, airflow/ventilation needs (mesh or solid surface), and environment (temperature, wash-down, freezing).
Choose appropriate mesh/open area: more open for freezing/airflow, tighter mesh for fine parts or small products.
Select material: 304 or 316 stainless steel for corrosion resistance; carbon steel if the environment allows.
Drive and tracking: For a straight run you still want good tracking, minimal drift, and minimal maintenance.
Consider retrofit: If replacing an existing belt, measure width, drive/splice style, edge conditions and motor/drive requirements.

Typical Applications

Our metal straight-running conveyor belts are used across a broad spectrum of industries and processes, including:

Food processing: bakery cooling lines, fryers, snack product coolers, frozen food tunnels, blanching/drying lines.
Industrial manufacturing: metal parts cooling/transfer, oil-/grease-laden component washing lines, stamping/forging transfer conveyors.
Packaging & logistics: transport of cartons, trays on straight conveyors from one process to another.
Thermal processes: curing, drying, coating, where open mesh or metal surface enables airflow and heat transfer.
Sanitary/wash-down lines: stainless steel belts in high-hygiene environments with frequent cleaning or sanitation.

CB5 Baking Band®

Excellent gas relief with good product support for all but the most fluid dough. Even heating and uniform heat transfer.

WG Woven Wire Conveyor Belts

A closed mesh surface that is extremely strong, flat and supportive

Balanced Weave Conveyor Belts

A closed mesh surface that is extremely strong, flat and supportive

Woven Wire Conveyor Belts

A closed mesh surface that is extremely strong, flat and supportive

Conventional Weave Belts

Designed for operation over straight-faced terminal pulleys.

Z-Baking Belts

The Ashworth Z-Baking Belt has a flat, open surface for direct baking on the belt, making it ideal for cookies and crackers.

CB3 Baking Band®

Engineered to traverse the 6” terminal rolls commonly found in tortilla ovens while providing expertly baked tortillas.

Compound Balance Weave Baking Band

Excellent gas relief with good product support for all but the most fluid dough. Even heating and uniform heat transfer.