Screw conveyors can be customized to improve efficiency and automation in food processing systems. The role of screw conveyors can help drive primary processing equipment to reach the highest throughput possible. Here are the top 10 efficiency highlights of screw conveyor solutions:
1 – Pivoting Infeed
Pivoting screw conveyors are designed with a track and/or caster system and are controlled automatically by downstream demand signals.
Heights and pivot distance are also customizable in a pivoting screw design to allow for the system equipment scale and platforms if required.
2 – Drop-Down
Screw conveyors can also be designed to drop down for safe and efficient maintenance and sanitation. Articulating screw conveyors can be designed with different pivot configurations as well as lowering.
3 – Safety Covers
A fully enclosed screw conveyor design minimizes food product contamination and aids in product containment. Safety grating or covers provide safe and ergonomic access to the auger and tub for inspection, maintenance, and sanitation.
4 – Dual augers
In production scenarios that require high-volume feeding, dual augers may be specified in the screw conveyor design.
5 – Electropolished (EP) Food Contact Surfaces
Electropolished surfaces have the most resistance to food attachment. Augurs, tubs, and inside covers can be electropolished to solve for more efficient and effective sanitation.
6 – CIP Assist
CIP assist is an automated sanitation system that reduces overall cleaning time. The technology creates efficiencies but may still require manual sanitation in areas the jets cannot reach. Mepaco can provide riboflavin/UV testing to demonstrate CIP effectiveness on new equipment.
7 – CO2 or Heat Jacketing
Another efficiency is to utilize a screw conveyor to cool or maintain heated product temperatures, using Co2, direct or indirect heating. Depending on the application, control of product temperature can save energy and downstream processing time.
8 – Pivoting Chute
Pivoting chutes can be actuated automatically, adding unloading or feeding flexibility.
9 – Clean Sweep
The clean-sweep hopper is often used in surge screw conveyor configurations to eliminate waste between batches. A paddle agitator sweeps the sides of the tub and continually pushes the product into the feed screw. The spin ridge keeps the product from barreling, maintaining positive conveyance until the food product is completely unloaded.
10 – Surge / Load Cells
In surge metering screw loaders, load cells are used to measure product displacement using the loss-in-weight method. Mixers, blenders, or cookers signal for raw material in the recipe, and the surge loading metering screw conveyors deliver the requested quantity of product required. As part of a bin system, the surge screw conveyor systems can reduce labor and eliminate downtime with continuous large-scale batch production.
For more information about screw conveyors and system automation, contact technical sales and engineering teams for a consult.
