Tubular Screw Conveyors
Tubular screw conveyors are used in the food processing, construction, glass fabrication, foundry and agricultural industries to transport dry to semi-dry material that is either free flowing, loose or sluggish, including powdery materials that generate a large amount of dust. Concrete, asphalt, premixed building materials, filler dust, plaster, sand and bentonite all can be transported from one container to another by tubular screw conveyors. Food products like cereal, peas and grains can be handled by these conveyor systems, which are made of stainless steel so the edible material remains sterile and uncontaminated. Vertical and inclined screw conveyors are most commonly contained inside a metal tube because they are most likely to spill out materials while in motion. Tubular conveyors are often components of larger conveyor systems and attached to vats, bins, ovens, hoppers, silos and horizontal conveyors.
The tube of screw conveyors is composed of steel sheet metal that has been rolled and welded together. They contain an inlet spout on the bottom along with an outlet spout at the top, which usually empties into a large container. While these conveyors ensure a dust-free environment, their interior is quite difficult to clean compared to bucket elevators, their main alternative. Tubular screw conveyors are used both indoors and outdoors. For indoor applications, they are often painted on their exterior, while outdoor tubes are galvanized to resist corrosion caused by outdoor moisture conditions. These conveyors are low maintenance, have small dimensions, comparatively few total moving parts and a good price to performance ratio. They are economical methods of transporting loose materials in a clean, safe and continuous manner. These conveyors may be permanent attachments to containers like bins, vats and silos, or they can be smaller and portable. Those that are portable are generally smaller and attached to a support system with wheels. All screw conveyors are usually manufactured to meet specific size requirements, depending on the material to be transported and the amount of facility space.
