Most manufacturers don’t even know the different conveyor belts that are out there, but one common option is the auger or screw conveyor, which can be used in many areas. It usually offers a long tube with a large spiral that twists around and around from a central shaft, though there are shaftless options available. The spiral can be set to a slow or quick pace, so you can quickly or slowly get through the items you need to separate. Most times, the auger conveyor is placed from up to down, so that gravity will help bring the items down, which is more economical, though level conveyors can also be used.
The auger conveyor can be used in agriculture, food processing and much more.
Agriculture
Auger conveyors are used in agriculture for many reasons, including moving grain from carts and trucks to storage bins and from storage bins to any other area. It is usually made with few moving parts to make it a more simple contraption, but is very effective at moving grains where they need to go.
Combine harvesters can also use auger conveyors to pick up the grains or vegetables from the ground to the truck. The harvester itself is equipped with the auger conveyor, which shoots the grain from the machine using a long conveyor.
Food
Many food manufacturers use auger conveyors to move the food down the production line into the next area. This is helpful if you want to move cooked foods down the line to be boxed and from boxing the items to shipping areas. Food-grade conveyors should be used so that the food does not become contaminated along its journey. Many foods require decoration, such as cookies, and this can also be done right in the conveyor, if you have an open conveyor. You can set the speed to a lower option so that staff can squeeze on the icing or apply sprinkles. However, machines are also available to do this for you, to reduce the amount of employees required to run the factory.
Others
Auger conveyors can be used in many other areas, such as in snowblowers to move the snow toward the discharge area, ice resurfacers can use augers to move the loose particles of ice from the ice surface and they are even used in injection molding machines and water treatment plants to remove solid waste from the water.
