Spiroflow’s Flexible Screw Conveyors are just that – flexible! Flexible screw conveyors can convey in any direction – from horizontal to vertical, routed around fixed obstacles and equipment, and from one room to another. Additionally, flexible conveyors are ideal for lifting materials from bag dump stations or storage bins. They can convey products at ceiling height to feed a line of processing or packaging machines – as multiple discharge points can be placed along horizontal sections.
Flexible Screw Conveyors constantly remix material through the action of the rotating spiral – effectively eliminating the risk of product segregation. These conveyors are also an extremely cost effective method of conveying dry bulk solids and ingredients!
Flexible Screw Conveyors are called by many different names, including a flexible auger, flexible screw conveyor, flex conveyor, flexible spiral conveyor, helix or helical conveyor.
Features
- Design Simplicity
- Gentle Product Handling
- Greater Hygiene
- Dust-free Operation
- Easy to Clean
- Constant Remixing
- Low Cost
- Low Maintenance
- Heavy-duty
- HOW IT WORKS & BENEFITS
- APPLICATIONS
- CONFIGURATIONS
- MODELS & SPECIFICATIONS
- COMPONENTS & OPTIONS
- CONTINUOUS MIXING & BLENDING
- TYPICAL MATERIALS
HOW IT WORKS & BENEFITS
How It Works
Versatility of installation and the ability to deal with the widest range of material particle sizes, bulk densities, and flow properties puts Spiroflow at the leading edge of flexible screw conveyor technology. Flexible screw conveyors, or auger conveyors, are often the lowest cost means of transferring dry bulk solids from one point to another.
Gentle Product Handling
The rotating flexible screw conveyor spiral, centralized within the conveying tube, gently moves material without degrading it. Its unique action also eliminates the risk of mixed product separation.
Design Simplicity
The simplicity of operation is the key element in the Spiroflow flexible spiral conveying system. The electric motor driven spiral, the only moving part, rotates within a sealed tube, moving the materials along by its Archimedean screw action. This design simplicity eliminates the need for additional operating equipment such as filters or bearings – all adding up to a system that’s hygienic, easy to clean, low on installation and maintenance costs and high on efficiency and performance.
Dust-free Operation
The Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor is totally sealed during operation. Because air isn’t used as a conveying medium, there’s no risk of dust contamination or humidity from the atmosphere, a critical factor when used in food and pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, dust can cause airborne contamination of other products and also pose a threat to the working environment.
Easy to Clean
The simplicity of the Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor system makes cleaning a simple operation. The electric motor may be reversed to empty the conveyor of residual material. It can then be flushed out with water or cleaning solution. If necessary, the spiral can be quickly removed from the tube, and optional quick release connectors enable rapid dismantling and reassembly to minimize downtime.
Low Maintenance
A robust inner spiral is the only moving part of a Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor which ensures trouble-free operation.
Constant Remixing
The action of the Spiroflow flexible screw conveyor ensures the material is being constantly remixed. This is particularly important when feeding premixed product to packaging and tablet machinery.
Heavy-duty
We offer heavy-duty screw conveyors with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) tubes for abrasive or high bulk density materials.
For the most abrasive metals, aggregates and materials such as glass cullet, we offer our RHINOVEYOR Flexible Screw Conveyor which has an abrasion resistant rubber conveying tube in addition to a heavy-duty spiral. Tests and operational experience have confirmed that our RHINOVEYOR conveying tubes have a significantly longer life than standard UHMWPE plastic tubes in aggressive applications.
APPLICATIONS
Because of their versatility and ability to handle a wide range of particle sizes, bulk densities, and flow properties, Spiroflow flexible screw conveyors are installed around the world in a multitude of industries.
Food
Hygienic ingredients handling is a fundamental benefit of Spiroflow equipment, designed to satisfy the stringent sanitary demands of the food and allied industries.
Water Treatment
Spiroflow supplies efficient dosing equipment for hydrated lime, activated carbon, and other chemicals used in water treatment.
Chemicals
Spiroflow’s long experience within the chemicals industry ensures the safe handling and accurate metering of these often hazardous materials.
Minerals & Ceramics
No bulk handling tasks are more arduous than in minerals and ceramics. Spiroflow equipment is robustly built to meet the most exacting demands.
Plastics Rubbers
Spiroflow solids handling equipment is widely chosen to ensure efficient feeding of molding, extrusion and mixing machinery in the volume manufacturing sectors.
Pharmaceuticals
Accuracy, hygiene, and consistent feeding are prime requirements in the pharmaceutical field.
| Application Suitability | |
|---|---|
| Price | Almost always less costly than an AMC, rigid screw or pneumatic conveyor |
| Layout Constraints (Single Conveyor) | Typically up to 39 ft (12m) but depends on product density & screw speed Multiple units can span greater distances One bend only |
| Maintenance | Low maintenance Wear only a consideration with abrasive products or if tube is excessively bent Recommended minimum bend radii should be observed |
| Installation Costs | Low |
| Energy Consumption | Medium energy consumption |
| Dust Control/Air Displacement | Conveyor is mechanically dust tight No systems filters required |
| Residual Material | Not 100% self-emptying Can easily be emptied by running in reverse |
| Degradation | Less than might be expected Moderate shear stresses produced by screw against tube Degradation tends not be a problem w/ most granular products like sugar |
| Fragile Products | Recommend material test |
| Maintaining Blends | Depends on densities & material characteristics of materials in blend |
| Hygroscopic Materials | Recommend Material Test |
| Moist Materials | Not suitable |
| Cohesive Materials | Recommend material test Utilize a proscrew (beveled edge) |
| Hot Materials | Application dependent With steel tubes handles material temps up to 300°F (149°C) |
| Sludge | Not suitable |
| Slurries | Not suitable |
| Fine Particles | Very fine particles that fluidize readily may require a flat spiral In some cases, a center core may also be needed |
| Running Empty | Cannot be run empty for extended periods without excessive noise & wear |
| Starting & Stopping | Can be started & stopped under load |
| Configurations | Straight incline, no bends Incline with 0-90° bend Incline Feeding a Horizontal Conveyor Horizontal Horizontal with Multiple Outlets Horizontal Inline Twin Screws |
Check out our Conveyor Comparison Chart.
This document compares our conveyor offerings based on application suitability, configurations, specifications, options & cleanability. Our engineers will assess your application needs & recommend the optimal conveyor system.
CONFIGURATIONS
Flexible screw conveyors, or auger conveyors, can be utilized in a number of different configurations. Here is a sampling of configurations we see regularly:
Check out our Conveyor Comparison Chart.
This document compares our conveyor offerings based on application suitability, configurations, specifications, options & cleanability. Our engineers will assess your application needs & recommend the optimal conveyor system.
MODELS & SPECIFICATIONS
| Model N. America | Typical Capacity up to (approx.)* | Minimum Radius | Tube O/D |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSC 214 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 1,000 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) 6’ | Tube o/d (inches) 2¼“ |
| FSC 258 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 2,000 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) 8’ | Tube o/d (inches) 2⅝“ |
| FSC 318 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 4,800 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) 14’ | Tube o/d (inches) 3⅛“ |
| FSC 412 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 14,000 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) 20' | Tube o/d (inches) 4½“ |
| FSC 658 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 26,000 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) NA | Tube o/d (inches) 6⅝“ |
| FSC 834 | Typical Capacity up to lb/hour (approx.)* 58,000 lb/hr | Minimum Radius (feet) NA | Tube o/d (inches) 8¾“ |
| Model (UK/Europe) | Typical Capacity up to (approx.)* | Minimum Radius | Tube i/d x o/d |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model 37 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 100 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 2.0m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 37 x 43 |
| Model 44 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 400 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 2.5m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 44 x 51 |
| Model 55 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 800 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 3.0m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 55 x 63 |
| Model 67 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 2,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 4.0m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 67 x 80 |
| Model 80 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 5,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 5.5m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 80 x 90 |
| Model 90 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 7,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) 7.0m | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 90 x 100 |
| Model 120 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 12,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) Rigid | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 120 x 136 |
| Model 146 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 22,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) Rigid | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 146 x 158 |
| Model 196 | Typical Capacity up to kg/hour (approx.)* 40,000 kg/hr | Minimum Radius (meters) Rigid | Tube i/d x o/d (mm) 196 x 222 |
| * Throughput rates vary depending on bulk density, material flow characteristics and length and elevation of the conveyor. We recommend material testing to determine the correct model. |
|||
Standard Construction & Components | Tubes | Food grade UHMWPE (see options for other tubes available) |
Spirals | Carbon/mild steel with option to upgrade to stainless steel | |
Spiral Profiles | Round Heavy-duty Round Flat Proscrew Beveled Edge |
Electrical Requirements | 2-7.5 hp (1.5-5.6 kW) Motor | |
| Motor sized to application |
Pneumatic Requirements | 60-80 psi if air agitation is specified |
Inlets, Outlets & Feeding | Multiple inlets & outlets | |
| Conveyor designed to be run fully charged & can be run with a full head of material in a hopper | ||
| Vibration, air fluidizers or agitators can be fitted to assist with poor flowing products | ||
| Inlets can be fitted with baffles, lids, hoppers, agitators, etc. Custom designs available. |
Spiral Profiles & Tube Selection
For most applications, the standard round spiral is suitable, combining strength and flexibility. Flat section spirals are recommended for certain light or aerated products.
The Proscrew beveled profile is used for conveying difficult materials such as iron oxide. The semi-rigid construction enables steep conveying angles to be achieved without bends.
The Centre Core is used for very light materials that fluidize readily and for conveyors inclined more than 60°. They are also used to prevent flooding/overfeeding of certain solids in short or horizontal conveyors.
All spirals are heat treated to provide strength and long life. Heavy duty spirals are also available for certain high density or aggressive materials.
Flexible screw conveyor tubes are available in UHMWPE, carbon steel (mild steel), 304 stainless steel or the industry’s only ‘Rhinoveyor’ rubber tubing (used when conveying abrasive material).
Check out our Conveyor Comparison Chart.
This document compares our conveyor offerings based on application suitability, configurations, specifications, options & cleanability. Our engineers will assess your application needs & recommend the optimal conveyor system.
COMPONENTS & OPTIONS
Hopper Discharge Equipment for Assisting Product Flow
Paddle/Finger Type Agitator
For certain sugars & other soft, sticky materials
Scroll Type Agitator
For flour, baking flour, cement
Lump Agitator
For friable plastic waste, hygroscopic product (salt/sugar), chocolate or cracker lumps.
Auxiliary Equipment
Static Bag Dump Stations
Here is an example of a basic bag dump station. This particular bag dump station has a bag support shelf, dust hood, vibration & level probe.
Mobile Bag Dump Stations
Mobile bag dump stations are typically configured with a dust hood and an integral flexible screw conveyor.
Multi-way Feeders
Multi-way flexible screw conveyors allow up to three conveyors to be fed from a single feed point. The system features swiveling inlet assemblies that allow the conveyors to be quickly installed and positioned as required, giving users valuable operational flexibility.
Dry, free-flowing products (sugar, salt, rusk, plastic granules) are fed smoothly and consistently – without the pulsing that occurs with pneumatic systems – allowing ingredients and additives to be metered to processing and packaging machines.
Low-cost Solutions
Often, companies needing to improve their production processes, reduce dust or eliminate manual handling just do not have the capital expenditure budget to upgrade the feed systems to a multiplicity of individual machines. At Spiroflow, we can supply mobile flexible screw conveyors for dry ingredients with or without an integral dust hood as a cost-effective answer to feeding several machines.
Operators can either load the conveyor direct from small sacks or wheel the mobile unit with a suitably sized collection hopper under a silo, mixer or process vessel. Alternatively, as the photo shows, our mobile conveyors can be furnished with an integral bulk bag unloader. Mobile, easy to clean flexible screw conveyors can help solve ingredients handling problems within a short pay-back period.
Check out our Conveyor Comparison Chart.
This document compares our conveyor offerings based on application suitability, configurations, specifications, options & cleanability. Our engineers will assess your application needs & recommend the optimal conveyor system.
CONTINUOUS MIXING & BLENDING
Continuous Mixing & Blending with Flexible Screw Conveyors
Thorough mixing is achieved over a short length of material flow with Spiroflow’s Inline Twin Screw (ITS) continuous proportional blender. It is steplessly adjustable for any blend ratio and is designed for use with any free free-flowing, granular, flake or pelleted materials. Accuracy of the Spiroflow ITS is to 2%, depending on material and application, making it suitable for a wide range of uses in the food, chemical, building products and other process industries specifications.
Operation
The Spiroflow ITS incorporates a novel principle in that the feed of the secondary ingredient is introduced directly into the center of the flow of the primary ingredient. The unit has two rotating spiral type conveyors of different diameters. The steel tube of the smaller conveyor is located within the spiral of the other. As the diagram shows, the tube of the smaller conveyor extends beyond the inlet hopper of the larger conveyor. This ensures that the flow of the minor ingredient is introduced into the primary one at the optimum point for thorough mixing. Stratification of different ingredients, which occurs with other types of mixer, is avoided by the unique design of the Spiroflow ITS due to its mechanical action.
Output Rates
Spiroflow ITS blenders are made up of standard sized Spiroflow rotating spiral conveyors and can be designed for any required throughput up to a maximum of 10 tph.
Food & Pharmaceutical Applications
Hygienic versions of the Spiroflow ITS with quick release connectors for ease of disassembly and cleaning are available for use in the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Features
- Mix quality can equal that of more expensive batch equipment.
- Little or no particle breakdown during mixing even on friable materials.
- Short process length minimizes the size of the unit, saving floor space or simplifying overhead installation.
- The mixture is conveyed and continuously mixed for approximately 3 feet (.9m) by the larger spiral to the discharge outlet.
- Can be used effectively with two or more components of similar or greatly differing particulate size and density.
TYPICAL MATERIALS
Flexible screw conveyors can transport a multitude of materials. Here is a list of materials generally considered for this type of conveyor. Our engineers will carefully assess the properties of your material and likely perform a material test to ensure your conveyor performs exactly to your expectations.
Food
- Bakery Additive Blends
- Barley
- Bran
- Bread Crumbs & Premix
- Brown Rice
- Cake Mix
- Calcium Carbonate
- Cheese, Powder Blends
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa Beans
- Coffee Beans, Green
- Coffee Beans, Whole
- Coffee, Ground
- Corn
- Corn Fiber
- Corn Flour
- Corn Meal
- Corn Starch
- Cracker Crumbs
- Dehydrated Vegetable Meal
- Dextrose
- Donut Mix
- Drink Mix
- Dry Beans, Ground
- Flour
- Flour Blends & Mixes
- Food Ingredients
- Food Stabilizer
- Soybean Hulls
- Spices
- Spices, Powdered
- Split Peas
- Starch
- Starch & Dextrose Blend
- Starch Derivative
- Sugar & Skim Milk Powder Blend
- Sugar, Brown
- Sugar, Granular
- Sugar, Unrefined Granulated
- Various Ground Fruits
- Vegetable Shortening, Powdered
- Vitamin Powder
- Wheat
- Whey
- Whey Protein
- Xanthan Gum
- Freekeh Cracked Wheat
- Garbanzos
- Gelatin
- Guar Beans & Guar Powders
- Guar Gum, Whey, Non-fat Dried Milk & Salt Blend
- Krill
- Lentils
- Malt
- Maltodextrin
- Milk Powder
- Non-Sodium Leavening Acid
- Nutritional Supplement Powder
- Pancake Inclusions
- Pasta
- Peanuts, Raw & Peanut Skins, Shelled
- Peanuts, Roasted
- Potassium Chloride
- Potato Skins
- Potato Starch
- Processed Pork
- Pulp, ground wet seed, wet skins
- Quinoa
- Rice Hulls
- Rye
- Salt
- Salt Based Food Products
- Soy Flour
- Soy Nuggets
Chemicals
- Acrylamide
- Alumina
- Ammonium Tetrafluoroborate
- Anionic Powder
- Austin Black
- Bisphenol-A
- Calcium Carbonate
- Calcium Carbonate, Precipitated
- Calcium Chloride
- Carbon
- Carbon Black
- Carbon Pellets
- Cerium Oxide
- Fumaric Acid
- Fumed Silica
- Fumed Silica Flour
- Harborlite Perlite
- HDPE PP Flakes
- Lithium Sulfate
- Magnesium Oxide
- Wax & Salicylic Acid
- Mold Flux
- Oxalic Acid
- Pentaerythritol (PE) Dust
- Pentaerythritol (PE) Powder
- Polyaluminum Chloride
- Polyvinyl Alcohol
- Potassium Chloride
- Sil-Cell
- Soda Ash
- Sodium Aluminosilicate
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Sodium Carbonate
- Sodium Gluconate
- Sodium Hydroxide Spheres
- Sodium Tripolyphosphate (STPP) & Powdered Citric
- Acid
- Starch, Vermiculite
- Stray Dust Pellets
- Sulfur Powder
- UHMWPE, Fine Powder
- Urea
Plastics & Rubber
- Compounded Plastics
- Epoxy Resin Flake
- Hot Melt Pellets
- PET Flake (Regrind)
- PET Pellets
- Plastic Flakes
- Plastic Regrind
- Polyethylene Beads
- Polymers
- Polyphenylene Oxide
- Polypropylene, Shredded
- PPO (Polyphenylene Ether) Powder
- Prills
- PVA Plastic Chips
- PVC Flour Dust
- PVC Regrind
- PVC Resin with Carbon Black
- PVC & Wood Shavings
- PVC, Recycled
- Recyclable Plastic
- Resin
- Rubber Crumb
- SEBS Crumb Rubber
Minerals & Mining
- Amps (Similar to Talc)
- Bentonite
- Bentonite Clay Blend
- Clay, Dry
- Coal Dust
- Coal, Powdered
- Copper Chips, Recycled Ground
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Epsom Salt
- Foundry Sand
- Friction Grind Dust
- Limestone
- Mullite & Zircon Sand
- Nickel, Chrome & Aluminum Oxide Powder
- Rock Salt
- Sand
- Sand Dust
- Silica & Clay
- Silica Gel
- Silica Sand
- Silica, Flour-like
- Soil, Low Plasticity Clay
Paints, Pigments & Coatings
- Acrylic Powder
- ATH (Aluminum Trihydrate) Powder
- Black Powder Coatings
- Cellosize Polymers
- Corfree M1 Flakes (Nitrite-free dibasic acid mixture)
- DDDA (Dodecanedioic Acid) Powder
- Paint Chips
- Pigment, Blue Dye
- Pigment Chips
- Powder Chips
Building Materials
- Cement
- Carbon Cement Based Blend
- Cement Powder
- Cement/Sand Mix
- GGBFS Cement
- Paper, Compacted
- Sand
- Wood Dust
- Wood Fines
- Wood Flour blend
Agriculture
- Biochar
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Dolomite, Calcium Carbonate
- Humic Powder
- Lignin
- Lime
- Nutrifen
- Peat & Biochar Blend
- Quick Lime
Other
- Brake Lining Material, Uncured
- Dried Sewage Sludge