STOBER cLEAN System outperforms motorized pulley in food processing environments

In food processing conveyor systems, downtime isn’t just inconvenient — it’s expensive. Every unexpected stop, every maintenance delay, and every equipment failure can cost thousands in lost production. Selecting the right conveyor drive system is more than a design decision; it’s a commitment to uptime, sanitation, and long‑term performance.

Today, we’re putting STOBER’s cLEAN System head‑to‑head with a motorized pulley to see which solution delivers when the pressure is on in food-grade environments.

At first glance: Similar on the surface

Both drum motors and STOBER’s cLEAN System check some of the same boxes:

• High efficiency
• Stainless steel construction
• Compatibility with caustic washdowns
• Strong warranty support

On paper, they may appear comparable for food manufacturing applications — but a closer look tells a very different story and reveals differences in durability, maintenance, and reliability.

Compact vs. capable: The real space tradeoff

Motorized pulleys earn points for compactness. Their integrated design looks sleek and can simplify initial layouts.

The STOBER cLEAN System, mounted externally to the gearbox, takes up slightly more space, but that extra room buys you three essentials drum motors can’t match:

• Durability
• Flexibility
• Ease of maintenance

And in food processing with high pressure sanitary environments, those three qualities matter far more than aesthetics and often determine whether your line keeps running… or keeps costing you money and time.

Durability: Built for harsh washdown conditions

Drum motors rely on a single seal at critical connection points, including the termination housing. In environments where high‑pressure washdowns are routine, that single seal becomes a single point of failure. Water ingress becomes likely, leading to internal contamination and potential failure. Excess heat also makes drum motors more prone to magnet delamination, leading to catastrophic failure in washdown motors.

STOBER’s cLEAN System, however, is purpose‑built for abuse, especially in IP69K motor applications:

• IP68 & IP69K Certified
• Dual seals at every connection point
• Dual output seals on the gearbox
• Gland-sealed cable for additional water ingress protection
• No weep holes—eliminating any potential entry point for moisture
• Runs 86°F cooler than comparable motors, preventing magnet delamination
• Built with permanent magnet motor efficiency to minimize thermal load

This isn’t just better durability — it’s reliability engineered into every component. This is the level of ruggedness required for true food-grade motor performance.

Maintenance: Downtime minutes vs. hours

When a motorized pulley fails, the real pain begins:

• Conveyor must be unloaded
• Belt must be removed
• End assembly must be disassembled
• Special tools are often required
• Incline conveyors require a lift
• Expect hours of downtime and lost production

In contrast, the STOBER cLEAN System is designed to make maintenance refreshingly simple in industrial conveyor motor setups:

• Remove four bolts — that’s it
• Bowex coupling‑style input ensures smooth motor removal
• Wobble‑free bushing system makes detaching from the conveyor shaft easy
• Replace only the failed component, not the entire system
• Send the KSS or cLEAN Motor in for renewal to receive replaced wear components and a fresh warranty

The result? Faster fixes, lower costs, and significantly reduced downtime. This modular, maintenance-friendly conveyor drive approach dramatically cuts downtime and labor costs.

Inventory: Streamlined, simplified, smarter

Drum motors are custom‑fit to specific belt widths, speeds, and pulley diameters. This creates costly challenges:

• More storage space
• More SKUs
• More capital tied up in inventory

STOBER’s modular design eliminates that burden and simplified inventory management for food manufacturing:

• Fewer parts = lower inventory costs and simpler planning
• One gearbox fits multiple output shafts using a modular bushing kit design
• The cLEAN Motor handles 500–3000 RPM, eliminating the need for multiple motor/gearbox variants
• Ideal for teams looking to reduce production downtime and lower total cost of ownership

The bottom line: Choose the system built for real‑world food processing demands

Motorized pulleys may look like an engineer’s dream, but they quickly become a maintenance nightmare in food plants. When durability, sanitation, serviceability, and total cost of ownership matter the STOBER’s cLEAN System the clear winner.

Choose the drive system built to endure the harsh realities of sanitary processing environments.

Choose reliability.
Choose performance.
Choose the STOBER cLEAN System.