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How Screw Conveyors Are Used In Industries

Screw conveyors are one of the oldest forms of material transport in history, dating back to the ancient Greeks. First invented by the Greek engineer Archimedes, it has been improved upon throughout the centuries and is still used in a number of industries. In ancient times, it was used to pump water to irrigation sites and it is still used in much the same way. The first grain auger was invented in 1945 by Peter Pakosh, a Canadian engineer, and was put into mass production just eight years later. Now, these machines are highly effective at transporting liquid and semi-solid materials across great distances. They are also designed to reduce material loss close to zero, making them extremely efficient.

Also known as an auger transport, these devices consist of an enclosed shaft that contains a large helical blade. When in operation, the blade rotates and drives the coils from one end of the shaft to the other. Liquids, powders, bulk materials and semi-solids are propelled forward by the coils cannot escape the device through any means. Screw conveyors are extremely common in the agriculture industry, where bulk grains must be moved around frequently. In fact, these machines are integral from harvest to processing and can be designed in a range of form factors.

During harvest, the grains are picked up by a combine and deposited in the back of the vehicle. Alongside the combine is a cargo trailer that transports the grain to a silo or straight to the processing facility. The combine is fitted with a huge auger transport that channels the grains from the back of the combine into the trailer. In this way, a combine can transport thousands of pounds of grains to the trailer every hour, ensuring no loss of production. At the grain silo, screw conveyors are typically used to load the material from the trailer into the silo. Because these machines can be designed at a slight incline, they can effectively carry the grains from ground level to the elevated silo.

When it’s time to remove the grains from the silo, they are offloaded from the container using another auger known as a sweep auger. These machines can be moved around the silo to pick up loose piles of grain after the silo has been mostly emptied out. They are much faster than manually pushing the material around. At the processing facility, auger transports are typically used to move the grain from the trailer into the plant. Smaller augers may be used inside the facility, though they are less common here.

Auger transports are also found in the recycling, mining and lumber industry, where large amounts of aggregate material must be moved regularly. Woodchips, gravel and waste material can be handled by this technology. It is also ideal for these industries because the machines are usually very rugged and resistant against shock. They also operate using simple technology, so they require little maintenance to keep running. In short, they have been a workhorse for thousands of years and continue to do the heavy lifting for farmers and processing centers everywhere.




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