Screw Conveyors are used in thousands of industrial applications every day for efficiently conveying a variety of bulk materials.
Horizontal screw conveyors are the most widely used type of screw conveyor. Used to convey bulk materials from one part of a process to another, horizontal screw conveyors are available in a wide range of sizes, lengths, configurations and materials of construction.
Screw conveyors are typically designed to convey bulk materials at 15, 30 or 45-percent trough loading, depending upon material characteristics of the specific bulk material. As a general rule, trough loading of 45-percent can be used for light, free-flowing and non-abrasive bulk materials. Trough loadings of 15 and 30-percent are typically used for denser, sluggish and more abrasive bulk materials.
The recommended location for the drive unit is on the discharge end of a screw conveyor which pulls the bulk material to the drive end. With this arrangement, each screw section is put in tension as the bulk material is conveyed toward the discharge of a screw conveyor, reducing wear and fatigue on the conveyor components.
Inclined screw conveyors typically operate from slightly above the horizontal position to 45-degrees from the horizontal position. Above 45-degrees an inclined screw conveyor is considered a vertical screw conveyor and must be designed in accordance with the KWS Engineering Guide for Vertical Screw Conveyors. As the degree of incline increases, conveying efficiency is reduced and horsepower requirements increase due to the effects of gravity and bulk material fall back.
Conveying efficiency is affected by angle of incline, characteristics of the specific bulk material, type of screw conveyor trough and screw pitch. KWS recommends designing screw conveyors using the lowest possible degree of incline for maximum efficiency.
Bulk materials discharged from centrifuges, filter presses or mixers can easily be conveyed using a KWS Shaftless Screw Conveyor. Our shaftless design provides a non-clogging conveying surface that allows difficult-to-convey materials to become easy-to-convey. The perfect solution for handling bulk materials with high moisture content is the KWS Shaftless Screw Conveyor.
KWS Shaftless Screw Conveyors are successfully used throughout the chemical, food, minerals processing and wastewater treatment industries for conveying everything from catalysts to dewatered biosolids. KWS developed the industry standards for shaftless screw conveyors and continues to create new and improved design standards. Our high strength alloy spirals are the hardest, strongest and toughest in the industry.
Vertical screw conveyors are a very efficient method for elevating a variety of bulk materials at very steep inclines or completely vertical. KWS considers any screw conveyor located on an incline over 45-degrees to be a vertical screw conveyor.
The compact design allows for the vertical screw conveyor to fit into almost any plant layout. With a minimum number of moving parts, the vertical screw conveyor is a cost-effective and dependable component of any bulk material handling process.
KWS designs and supplies vertical screw conveyors to meet the needs of many industries, such as chemical, minerals processing, food, wood products and wastewater treatment. For example, our unique shaftless vertical screw conveyor design is used in many wastewater treatment facilities for elevating dewatered biosolids.
KWS Vertical Screw Conveyors are available in many configurations. Inlet sections can be offset to either side or can be in-line. Horizontal feed conveyors are required to accurately meter bulk materials directly to the vertical conveyor’s inlet for maximum efficiency.
