How do vertical screw conveyors work?
Vertical screw conveyors use a rotating helical auger inside an enclosed tube to lift bulk materials upward through mechanical thrust. As the screw turns, material is pushed upward along the flights against gravity. The enclosed design prevents dust escape and contamination, making them ideal for powders, granules, and wet or sticky bulk solids in continuous upward transport applications.
What are the components of a vertical screw conveyor?
Key components include the drive unit (motor and gearbox), the rotating screw or auger with helical flights, an enclosed tube housing, inlet and outlet ports, upper and lower bearings, and a coupling assembly. Jersey Crusher systems also support variable speed drives for flow rate control, and can integrate with feeders, lump breakers, and downstream automated handling equipment.
What is a vertical conveyor?
A vertical conveyor is a material handling system designed to move bulk solids upward between elevations within a facility. Vertical screw conveyors achieve this using a rotating auger in an enclosed tube, offering a compact footprint compared to inclined conveyors or bucket elevators. They are particularly effective for powders, granules, and materials that are prone to dusting or contamination.
What materials can vertical screw conveyors handle?
Jersey Crusher vertical screw conveyors handle a wide range of bulk solids including grains, spices, sugar, chemical powders, mineral concentrates, animal feed, wood chips, sawdust, pharmaceutical APIs and excipients, fertilizers, and biomass. The enclosed construction is especially advantageous for wet, sticky, or combustible materials that would challenge open belt or bucket conveyors.
What diameter options are available for vertical screw conveyors?
Standard configurations are available in 6-inch to 12-inch diameters. Custom diameters beyond 12 inches can be engineered to order based on throughput requirements and production layout. Jersey Crusher engineers evaluate product samples to recommend the optimal diameter and configuration for your specific application and flow rate targets.
What construction materials are available for vertical screw conveyors?
Vertical screw conveyors are available in carbon steel with blue enamel finish, 304 stainless steel, and 316 sanitary stainless steel. Abrasion-resistant material variants are also available for aggressive bulk solids. The 316 stainless option meets food-grade and FDA-adjacent requirements for pharmaceutical, food, sugar, and cosmetic industry applications.
Which industries use vertical screw conveyors from Jersey Crusher?
Jersey Crusher vertical screw conveyors serve food and beverage, chemical and pharmaceutical, agriculture and animal feed, and mining and minerals industries. Specific applications include transporting grains, spices, and powders in food processing plants; moving APIs and excipients in pharmaceutical facilities; handling bulk grain and fertilizer at farms and mills; and conveying mineral feedstock in mining operations.
Can vertical screw conveyors be integrated with existing processing equipment?
Yes. Jersey Crusher vertical screw conveyors are engineered to integrate with lump breakers (Lump Busters®), particle-izers, volumetric feeders, AGVs, and robotic finished-goods handlers. Custom inlet and outlet geometries are designed to bridge gaps between upstream processing equipment and downstream automated systems, enabling seamless complete-process material handling solutions.