Industrial screw conveyors for powders, pellets, minerals, and difficult bulk solids
Engineered industrial screw conveyors for horizontal, inclined, vertical, and live-bottom service. We help size and configure screw conveyors for food ingredients, chemicals, plastics, minerals, and other bulk materials based on your flow rate, material characteristics, and plant layout.
Ideal for controlled, enclosed conveying of powders, granules, pellets, sludges, and abrasive bulk solids in compact layouts.
Why choose an industrial screw conveyor?
Industrial screw conveyors are one of the most versatile bulk material handling solutions for moving dry bulk solids in a controlled and space-efficient way. A rotating helical flight moves material through a trough or tube, making screw conveyors a strong option for transfer, metering, bin discharge, and elevation duties.
- Versatile orientation for horizontal, inclined, vertical, and live-bottom applications.
- Works with many bulk materials including powders, flakes, pellets, sludges, and abrasive products.
- Enclosed conveying path helps support dust control and safer plant operation.
- Highly configurable designs for sanitary, abrasive, corrosive, or difficult-flow materials.
How we engineer your screw conveyor
Successful screw conveyor design depends on more than just capacity. We evaluate the product, process, geometry, and duty so the conveyor matches your real-world application.
Material properties
Bulk density, flowability, abrasiveness, corrosiveness, lump size, temperature, and moisture content all affect sizing and construction.
Capacity and duty
We review required rate, feeder versus transfer duty, surge factor, and duty cycle to size the screw and drive correctly.
Geometry and layout
Length, incline angle, number of inlets and outlets, supports, and available plant space affect the final design.
Screw conveyor configurations
Industrial screw conveyors can be configured for efficient horizontal transfer, steep incline conveying, vertical lift, live-bottom reclaim, sanitary service, or difficult materials that require shaftless or specialty flighting.
Efficient transfer and metering
Often the most efficient arrangement for controlled feed from hoppers, bins, mixers, or weigh systems with relatively low power requirements.
Elevated conveying with derating
As angle increases, product slip and backflow become more significant. Diameter, pitch, speed, and internal features are adjusted to maintain performance.
Compact vertical elevation
Useful when plant footprint is tight and material needs to be lifted vertically using tubular housings, controlled inlets, and robust drives.
Mass flow from bins and silos
Multiple parallel screws withdraw material evenly to help reduce bridging and rat-holing in difficult or cohesive bulk solids.
Hygienic construction options
Available with stainless steel contact surfaces, sanitary finishes, clean-out access, and features that support washdown and faster changeovers.
For sticky, stringy, or abrasive products
Shaftless screws and specialty flighting help handle sludges, screenings, abrasion-prone materials, and applications that need more than standard full-pitch flighting.
Capacity and sizing notes
Actual screw conveyor capacity depends on the material, percent fill, RPM, trough type, incline, and flight design. The table below gives general reference ranges, but final sizing should be based on the application.
| Screw Diameter | Typical Pitch | Indicative Capacity Range | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6–9 in | Full or 2/3 pitch | 80–600 ft³/hr | Short transfers, feeder duty, smaller metering applications |
| 12 in | Full pitch | 600–1,800 ft³/hr | General duty powders and granules |
| 16 in | Full pitch | 1,800–4,000 ft³/hr | Higher-rate transfers and pellet conveying |
| 20+ in | Full pitch | 4,000–10,000+ ft³/hr | Long runs, aggregates, and higher-throughput applications |
Common applications for industrial screw conveyors
Screw conveyors are widely used across many bulk material handling industries because they can meter, transfer, reclaim, or elevate products in a compact enclosed design.
Food ingredients
Flour, sugar, salt, starch, and other dry ingredients requiring controlled enclosed movement.
Plastics and chemicals
Pellets, powders, additives, regrind, and specialty materials where consistency and containment matter.
Minerals and waste streams
Lime, cement, sand, sludge, screenings, and other difficult or abrasive products.
Components and flighting options
Frequently asked questions
How does incline affect screw conveyor capacity?
As incline increases, product falls back between flights more easily. To compensate, screw diameter, pitch, speed, and horsepower often need to be adjusted.
When should a shaftless screw conveyor be used?
Shaftless screws are often used for sticky, viscous, or stringy products such as sludge or screenings that could wrap around a center shaft.
What materials of construction are available for screw conveyors?
Common options include carbon steel, 304 and 316 stainless steel, AR plate, and liners such as UHMW, AR, or ceramic depending on wear and corrosion requirements.
Can screw conveyors be used for accurate metering?
Yes. When paired with proper controls, VFDs, or feeder systems, screw conveyors can be used for controlled feed and metering applications.
Need an engineered screw conveyor for your process?
We help plants in North Carolina and South Carolina size industrial screw conveyors for powders, pellets, minerals, sludges, and other bulk materials based on the material and application.