Manufacturers commonly use flexible screw conveyors because of their low cost, reliability, straightforward operation and simple construction. This equipment is not complicated, but it should not be cookie-cutter either. Poor performance, excessive power usage, severe wear and material degradation can all occur if a flexible screw conveyor is not specified, manufactured and installed correctly.
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Here are 3 reasons why an &#;off the rack&#; flexible screw conveyor might not deliver the material handling results you were expecting:
1. It Can&#;t Handle My Specific Material
Flexible screw conveyors can move many different types of materials. But if those materials affect conveying equipment in a way that wasn&#;t accounted for when the equipment was being built, there can be problems down the road.
For example, some bulk materials create friction, which can have a negative effect on the material itself and also cause the conveyor&#;s motor to be overburdened. This can create excessive wear and eventually lead to failure if left unchecked. In other cases, certain materials can build up on the screw and cause it to stall, effectively interrupting production.
2. It Has the Wrong Type of Auger
The screw or auger is the only part of a flexible screw conveyor that moves. That doesn&#;t mean only one type of screw will get the job done in every application. To get the best results possible from a flexible screw conveyor, it&#;s important to select the auger type that best suits the material you need to convey.
Flat Wire Augers
Flat wire augers are used for conveying powders or other light materials because the flat conveying surface applies a more positive forward directional force on the product being conveyed and reduces the outward force against the tube wall.
Beveled or Square Bar Augers
Beveled or square bar augers are specifically designed to convey difficult-to-handle or fragile material with minimal product degradation or damage.
Round Wire Augers
Round wire augers are made from a coiled round bar and are mainly used for heavy or highly abrasive materials. The biggest asset of this auger design is its strength and flexibility, which minimizes the load imposed on it by material weight, particle shape or material size.
3. It Isn&#;t Designed for My mode of Operation
Many applications require their flexible screw conveyors to perform intermittent or continuous operation. In both instances, special considerations must be made to ensure optimal equipment performance.
When conveyors must start and stop in a repetitive fashion under full load, some heavy materials may cause startup issues. To mitigate this problem, modifications can be made to the conveyor that will add to its structural strength and/or reduce the amount of material during startup. Flexible screw conveyors that perform non-stop for extended intervals need to be specifically designed for this type of operation and should be sized to run at an average speed range.
At Hapman, one of our core principles is that our engineers and manufacturing staff will not just pull a piece of material handling equipment off the shelf and give it to you. We create custom-tailored solutions for our customers after listening to their needs and answering important questions about their specific application.
How to Select a Shaft or Shaftless Screw Conveyor
A question that many engineers and maintenance personnel ask about screw conveyors is "when should I use a shafted screw conveyor" or "when should I use a shaftless screw conveyor"? These are excellent questions and the answer should be researched for each individual operation as they assess their daily needs.
Why use a Shafted Screw Conveyor ?
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A shaft screw conveyor is a piece of equipment that has a solid or tubular shaft that runs through the center of the screw flights. This helps to keep the screw above the trough or sleeve, avoiding friction that could lead to wear and metal detachment with contact and speed of rotation.
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Shafted screw conveyor Advantages:
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A shafted screw conveyor can be longer. In most applications, the shaft screw conveyor uses suspension bearings or bushings every 3 meters.
A shafted screw conveyor does not need a liner on the inside of the trough or tundish, resulting in less maintenance.
A shafted screw conveyor can run at higher rpm because there is no concern about wear on the bottom tundish liner.
Shafted helical screw conveyor Disadvantages:
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Suspension bushings or bearings are required for longer conveyors. These can obstruct the flow of material on high capacity conveyors.
Shafted screw conveyors have a lower trough fill rate due to the need for suspension bearings. The typical fill rate for a shaft screw is around 15% -30%.
Shafted Screw Conveyor are not suitable for fibrous or pasty materials.
Shafted screw conveyors may have a higher capital cost in certain situations with flanged shafts and flexible suspension bearings.
Shafted Screw Conveyor
Screw Conveyor Shaft
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Vibrating Hopper Inclined Screw Conveyor.
Filling Rate 15%-30%
Filling Rate Screw Conveyor
Why Use Shaftless Screw Conveyors?
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A shaftless screw conveyor has only one spiral or helix without a central shaft. The shaftless screw conveyor rotates on a liner that is usually made of engineering plastic. The only connection point on a shaftless screw conveyor is at the drive end of the screw conveyor.
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Shaftless screw conveyor Advantages :
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One of the main reasons for using a shaftless screw conveyor is the ability to handle different types of material. Shaftless screw conveyors can handle viscous, sticky, wet and lumpy materials.
Without the need for suspension bearings, a shaftless screw conveyor can have a higher fill rate, about 35% -40%. For applications such as live bottom hoppers and controlled feed, a 100% shaftless screw conveyor is possible.
Shaftless screw conveyors are ideal to feed vertical screw conveyors as there is no lower shaft or seal.
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Shaftless screw conveyor Disadvantages:
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A shaftless screw conveyor will need to remove the liner and replace it as it is a component that wears out over time due to contact or friction when the screw conveyor rotates. This can often be a problem if the screw conveyor is located high up or in an inaccessible location.
For very long lengths and higher volume bulk material handling applications, there will be a need for bracing on the screw conveyor, due to compression of the scroll under thrust load and elongation under tensile load.
Shaftless Screw Conveyor
Screw Auger Shaftless
Filling Rate 35%-45%
Filling Rate Screw Conveyor Shaftless
Conclusion on Shafted screw conveyors vs Shaftless screw conveyors
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Screw conveyors are widely used in industry. Both shafted and shaftless screw conveyor designs have their advantages and disadvantages, and the final choice generally comes down to the characteristics of the bulk material it will handle. Definitely a viscous, pasty and sticky product the solution is a shaftless screw conveyor, and meanwhile a solid material powders, grains, seeds are generally handled with a shaft screw conveyor, before making any decision, consult your advisor Bega, who will gladly assist you.
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