Worm Conveyors

Worm Conveyors

Worm conveyor is another term for a screw conveyor and is composed of a rotating, spiral screw inside tubular casing or a trough. As the screw rotates, bulk material is pushed forward through the conveyor from one area to another. They handle all different kinds of materials, including powder, sludge, dust, flakes, granules and other loose substances like seeds, food waste, wood chips, cereal, grain, boiler ash, fuels, feed and cement. In addition to transporting materials down a linear plane, worm conveyors also aide in the mixing, agitation or breakdown of some substances due to their rotating motion with the screw's paddles. While they are mostly used in bulk handling applications, helix conveyors are popular in agriculture as components of farm machinery like threshers or balers. They also transport animal feed and seeds to different locations. The food processing industry also uses worm conveyors to transport dry ingredients like salt, flour, nuts, and any other raw material used to produce food products. These conveyors are always made from food grade stainless steel, which exhibits a smooth surface and is non contaminating. They are also popular within the construction industry when mixing dry and wet materials to form cement or plaster.

Worm conveyors have three different orientations-horizontal, vertical and inclined. Horizontal screw conveyors transport the material in a linear direction and only require a trough. Vertical conveyors carry material straight up and down and require a tubular casing to hold all the material inside. They are mostly needed when material must be transported from a receptacle low to the ground to one that is very tall. Compared to bucket elevators, vertical screw conveyors are lower maintenance and provide continuous conveying. Finally, many applications require the use of inclined conveyors, which are set at an angle. They require ample space and an increased amount of power to lift the material, but their slant economically transports bulk material between facility floors. Some are portable and mounted on stands, carts or vehicles and may be moved around a facility. These conveyors transport loose, dry materials to and from vats, silos, rail cars, barrels, trucks and pits. They are mostly powered by an electric motor, although some harness the energy from nearby machinery like a trailer's power take-off shaft. Standard worm conveyors are composed of all metal components. However, some that are used in the food industry are made out of thermoplastic resin that has been injection molded and can withstand high impact and temperature without contaminating the food substances.