Smithfield Foods

Ashworth reviewed the condition of the existing spiral oven belt and identified the need for both a belt replacement and system improvements. Ashworth developed a solution that not only replaced the worn belt but also upgraded key components to improve long-term performance and reliability. 

Supply 650 ft of oven belt. 
Replacement of belt guides, wear strips & support rails. 
Installation of new sprockets and guide rails to reduce friction and improve oven performance. Modification of the existing take-up assembly into a double take-up assembly to increase belt tension capacity. 

Yes. The project proactively eliminated the risk associated with the aging oven belt and provided upgrades that improved overall spiral reliability. 

Maintenance Employee moral increased due to reduced downtime, 
Increase in volume due to reducing downtime 

When we began experiencing ongoing issues with our spiral oven, we knew we needed an expert partner to help us identify the root causes and develop a long-term solution. After finding Ashworth on line, I reached out and was quickly contacted by Mike Prendergast, who arranged an onsite visit to review our challenges. 

From that first meeting, I felt confident that Ashworth had the knowledge, experience, and resources to help us solve our problems. Their team took the time to understand our operation and provided practical recommendations backed by a strong understanding of spiral oven and freezer design. 

As the project progressed, Ashworth's engineering team returned to our facility to walk us through their recommendations and explain the design considerations behind them. Their willingness to educate us on the engineering principles involved gave us a great deal of confidence in the proposed solution. After reviewing and approving the submittal drawings, the belt and replacement components moved into production. 

What impressed me most was Ashworth's commitment to continuous improvement. Just before production began, their engineering team identified an opportunity to further improve the design and recommended a different belt configuration. I appreciated that multiple engineers reviewed the project and were focused on finding the best possible solution rather than simply moving forward with the original plan. 

Once all the components arrived onsite, the installation was completed over the course of a week. The Ashworth team worked exceptionally well together, and the entire process was professional, organized, and efficient. Their onsite support and attention to detail made the installation go smoothly and reinforced our confidence that we had chosen the right partner. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed working with the Ashworth team. I would especially like to thank Mike Prendergast, Jim Nelson, Aaron Fouch, Bryan Hobbs, and Marty for their professionalism, technical expertise, and commitment to the success of the project. Their support throughout the process helped deliver a solution that not only addressed our immediate challenges but also improved the long-term reliability of our spiral oven system.