Chip Conveyor Engineered to Fit Under Existing Machines
Adding a chip conveyor to an existing machine tool often means working around clearances that were never designed for a conveyor. The machine discharge sits too low. The base casting extends to the floor. The coolant pan leaves only inches of vertical space. The SteelTrak™ 725 is specifically engineered for these retrofit challenges with a frame that puts its shallowest profile exactly where space is tightest—under the machine—then transitions to a deeper, stronger section for the incline and discharge where structural capacity matters more than clearance.
This split-depth approach is fundamentally different from the uniform-depth frames on models like the 721 (8½” deep throughout) or 722 (6⅝” throughout). The 725 gives you 5⅜” at the infeed—nearly 3 inches shallower than a standard 721—without compromising the strength of the incline section that carries the full belt load uphill to the discharge point.
Split-Depth One-Piece Formed Frame
The 725 frame is formed from 12-gauge steel as a single piece, which is an important distinction for liquid-tight applications. A one-piece frame eliminates seams and joints in the pan where coolant could leak, making the 725 inherently suited for wet-chip environments without requiring a separate bolt-on liquid-tight pan.
The horizontal infeed section is 5⅜” deep—the shallowest infeed depth in the SteelTrak 2½” pitch lineup. The frame transitions to 6⅝” deep through the incline and discharge sections, where the added depth provides the structural backbone the belt needs to carry loaded scrap uphill. Standard widths include 6″, 8″, 12″, 18″, 24″, 30″, and 36″ with custom widths available. Standard curves include 30, 45, and 60 degrees.
Belt and Drive Specifications
The 725 uses a 2½” pitch hinged steel belt with a one-piece apron, ⅞” high cleats on 12½” centers, and 1½” high sidewings. The drive shaft is 1-3/16″ diameter, and the 5-tooth sprocket has a 4.5″ pitch diameter. The standard drive is ½ HP (230/460V, 3-phase, 60 Hz, TEFC) at 30 FPM. Grease-sealed ball bearings are used at the discharge, and marine-type bearings are standard at the infeed—a detail that reflects the 725’s intended use in coolant-wet machine environments where the infeed section is exposed to cutting fluid.
Z-shape, L-shape, and horizontal configurations are available.
Built for Hot, Oily Machining Environments
The 725’s product description from NLECO is direct: “This low profile infeed hinged steel belt conveyor is used to convey hot, oily metal parts and scrap.” The combination of a one-piece liquid-tight-ready frame, marine bearings at the infeed, and stainless steel belt construction makes the 725 the natural choice for CNC machining centers, lathes, and presses that produce coolant-saturated chips at discharge points close to the floor.
Common applications include CNC machining centers with low chip discharge points, horizontal and vertical lathes, multi-spindle machines, transfer machines, small to medium stamping presses, and any machine tool where the conveyor must slide under the machine base with minimal vertical clearance.
725 vs. 722 vs. 727: Choosing the Right Compact SteelTrak
Three SteelTrak models serve the “tight clearance” market, each with a different frame strategy. The 722 uses a uniform 6⅝” frame throughout—a compact but constant depth for applications where clearance is limited everywhere along the conveyor run. The 725 uses a split-depth frame (5⅜” infeed / 6⅝” incline-discharge)—the shallowest option at the infeed point, with added depth where strength matters. The 727 uses a tapered frame (6⅝” → 4⅛” → 6⅝”) designed to fit inside or under a machine where the clearance pinch point is in the middle of the run rather than at the infeed.
Choose the 725 when the tightest clearance is at the machine discharge (infeed) and you need the shallowest possible entry point under the machine. Choose the 722 when clearance is uniformly limited along the entire run. Choose the 727 when the pinch point is mid-run—inside the machine base or under an obstruction between the infeed and incline.
Options and Accessories
The 725 supports the full SteelTrak accessory catalog: perforated and pimpled belt surfaces, radial sidewings, impact bars, recessed and cut-back cleats, center land dividers, top covers, automatic chain oilers, bolt-on bottom pans, drain plugs, liquid-tight bottom pans, drain holes, access panels, quench tanks, marine bearings, side-mounted drive, custom infeed hoppers, discharge chutes, floor supports, castered floor supports with floor locks, and custom paint.