Modular belts and PVC belts are two of the most widely used conveyor belt types in materials handling, and choosing between them comes down to the demands of your process. Tegman supplies both modular conveyor belts and PVC conveyor belts, ex-stock and to specification, along with matched drive components. This guide sets out how each is built, where each performs best, and what to check before deciding on modular vs PVC belting for your application, from operating temperature and hygiene requirements to load type and belt layout.
What Are Modular Belts?
Modular belts are built from individual plastic or steel modules linked together with joining rods, rather than one continuous belt surface. This construction means the belt is assembled from repeating units rather than moulded or woven as a single piece. If a section wears or is damaged, the affected modules can be replaced individually without swapping out the whole belt, which limits maintenance downtime to the affected section rather than the full run and keeps a line running with a smaller parts inventory on hand.
Modular Belt Styles and Configurations
Tegman offers a range of modular belts specific to your requirements, available in Flush Grid, Flat Top, Roller Top and Raised Rib styles, in both straight-running and side-flexing designs. Side-flexing designs handle inclines, corkscrew runs, and tight corners that a straight belt cannot, using lateral flex for diagonal movement, and options such as side flights and centre cleats keep product controlled and separated on the belt.
Tegman also supplies a separate Flat-Top Chain range, built from linked plastic or stainless steel chains rather than modules. The two are easy to confuse by name since both use the term “flat top”, but they are different products with different constructions; confirm with your branch which one your line actually needs before specifying or sourcing reference material.
Material Options for Modular Belts
effective choice for general conveying. Polypropylene withstands temperatures up to 100°C and offers strong chemical resistance, which suits processes involving washdown, hot product, or exposure to cleaning agents.
Nylon is specified where higher impact strength is needed, such as lines handling heavier or sharper-edged loads. All three materials are easy to maintain, and because modules are replaced individually rather than as a full belt, a damaged section does not mean sourcing and fitting an entirely new belt.
Where Modular Belting Is Used
Modular belting’s washdown tolerance, individually replaceable modules, and resistance to sharp-edged products make it suited to a wide range of settings.
In food and beverage processing, it is used across fruit and vegetable handling, seafood and meat, bakery, snacks, beverages, and can-making lines, where hygiene and chemical resistance matter as much as durability.
In logistics and distribution, it handles general conveying for e-commerce and warehousing operations, and baggage handling at airports.
In industrial and automotive settings, it suits packaging, corrugated, tyre plant, car wash, and automotive applications, where the ability to replace a single worn module rather than the full belt reduces downtime.
What Are PVC Belts?
PVC belts are built around a polyester fabric core for tensile strength, coated in PVC or PU to create a single continuous belt that is lightweight to medium-weight. Unlike modular belting’s linked-module construction, this is a moulded, one-piece belt, which makes it straightforward to specify for simple, straight-line conveying where the process does not call for side-flexing or individual module replacement.
PVC Belt Finishes and Options
PVC belts come in a range of surface finishes, including smooth, rough and diamond patterns, with options for hardness, grip, colour, and thickness to suit the load being carried. Cleats and side walls are available where product needs to be contained or carried on an incline rather than moved on a flat, open belt.
Specialised PVC Variants
Food-safe versions meet hygiene requirements for direct product contact. Flame-retardant versions suit environments where fire risk is a specification requirement. Low-noise versions reduce background noise on the belt itself, which is useful in busy factories and sorting centres where cumulative machine noise is an operational concern rather than just a comfort issue.
Where PVC Belting Is Used
PVC belting’s strong price-to-value ratio makes it a common choice for general materials handling wherever straightforward, straight-line conveying is the priority over hygiene certification or temperature range.
Airports and distribution centres rely on it for high-volume, straight-line conveying, where a lower-cost belt covers the requirement without modular belting’s washdown tolerance.
In agriculture, PVC belting’s surface finishes and lighter weight suit general material handling that doesn’t call for modular belting’s chemical resistance.
In food processing, the food-safe variant covers direct product contact, with the low-noise option suited to busy sorting areas within the same facilities.
Modular vs. PVC: Matching the Belt to Your Process
Three factors usually settle the modular vs PVC belting decision.
Temperature and hygiene – Modular belting is the stronger option where the process involves temperature extremes, washdown, or hygiene requirements, since polypropylene modules withstand heat up to 100°C and the belt tolerates repeated cleaning.
Layout and flexibility – Where the conveyor needs to flex, turn, incline, or run in a corkscrew, modular’s side-flexing designs handle this; PVC belting is built for straightforward, straight-line runs.
Cost and simplicity – PVC belting remains the more economical option for general handling where the layout is simple and hygiene certification is not a requirement, with a wide range of surface finishes to choose from for the specific load.
Confirm the operating temperature, hygiene requirements, load, and belt layout before specifying either.
Why Choose Tegman for Conveyor Belting
Tegman supplies both modular and PVC conveyor belting ex-stock and to specification, backed by matched drive components and a branch network across Gauteng, Nelspruit, Cape Town, and Durban. Whether the requirement is a straightforward PVC belt for general handling or a modular system engineered around washdown, temperature, or layout constraints, our team can advise on the right specification before you order.
Get In Touch
Contact your nearest branch to discuss which belt suits your process.
Gauteng Branch and Factory: 067 008 5354
Nelspruit Branch: 068 533 4089
Cape Town Branch: 066 298 9523
Durban Branch and Factory: 031 563 4252 / 072 299 4947 / 065 817 1415
Corporate Head Office: 065 810 2138