Conveyors are used to economically and efficiently move bulk materials from point A to point B. But are you using the right type for your business?
Screw and drag conveyors are the most commonly used types of conveyor systems. Choosing the one that best fits your business depends on your application and needs.
Screw conveyors move product from one point to the next by pushing the product with a rotating shaft and flight assembly. With screw conveyors, the inlet is usually control-fed by equipment that discharges the product at a specific rate. Screw conveyors are a completely enclosed system, which helps reduce product spillage as well as reduce dust emissions. They require minimal maintenance because they have few moving parts, and they can carry a wide variety of products from free-flowing to slow moving.
Screw conveyors are available in various designs and sizes, ranging from 4-inch to 24-inch in diameter and up to 120-inch in diameter with flights as thick as 2 inches. They can be made from a variety of metals, including mild steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, hastalloy, monel, Inconel and other alloys.
If you are limited by space, drag conveyors may be your best option for conveying bulk materials over, under and around other equipment. They are energy efficient, requiring less horsepower to move a product than most other conveying equipment. With drag conveyors, the bulk material enters the conveyor through a bypass inlet to allow the product to fill the lower portion of the housing without contacting the chain and flights on the return rail.
Drag conveyors are available in a round-bottom or flat-bottom option. Drag conveyors, by design, can convey product with little to no product degradation, which is important when you have bulk materials that are pelletized or you want to maintain a product’s integrity. Drag conveyors typically do a better job when you need to thoroughly clean out product at the discharge point.
Is your current conveyor system meeting your needs? KC Supply Co. experts can assess your current screw and drag conveyor system or any other system and answer questions, including how to make your conveyor more economical and efficient. KC Supply offers new and replacement parts and can customize conveyors, including screw and drag conveyors, to fit your unique application and business. We have many years of experience and several manufacturing plants throughout the United States to meet your needs. We offer various parts and sizes for screw and drag conveyors and can even customize them for you. Call 1.800.KC.SUPPLY.