Inclined Screw Feeders for Metering Granulated Sugar

General Description

Pneuveyor Systems International is a single source supplier of bulk material handling systems and an integrator of equipment for pneumatic conveying of dry bulk solids in the plastic, chemical, mineral, food and pharmaceutical industries. Pneuveyor Systems had an existing project for processing granulated sugar. The flexible screw conveyors under the flexible fabric silos were a constant source of downtime and maintenance. The units kept plugging and over-amping the motors, indicating the conveyors were not designed properly for the application. Pneuveyor Systems and KWS worked together to design and deliver a long-term solution so the End User could operate with minimal downtime.

Design Parameters

KWS Advantages

Pneuveyor Systems and KWS have worked together for many years on many successful projects. Engineers from KWS met with Pneuveyor Systems and the End User to collect all of the necessary information about the application and the problems with the existing equipment. KWS recommended screw feeders with variable pitch flighting in the inlet section to meter the granulated sugar. Granulated sugar is extremely free-flowing and KWS has the knowledge and expertise to design for special conditions. The screw feeders were located on a 37-degree incline so product fallback was a major concern. KWS calculated for worst-case conditions and provided high-torque drives to start and stop under load. KWS’ capabilities along with excellent communication with Pneuveyor Systems and the End User assured that the new screw feeders would fit perfectly and operate flawlessly in the field.

Special Features

Since granulated sugar is a food product, KWS designed and constructed the screw feeders from 304 stainless steel. Non-split tubular housings were selected to eliminate any sugar leakage. KWS utilized air-purged shaft seals on both the inlet and discharge ends to contain the sugar within the screw feeder housing. Each screw feeder was designed with a special inlet hopper and inspection cover that mated up to a slide gate. The special slide gates were designed with round inlets to mate to the flexible fabric silos. The slide gates allowed for easy accessibility so the flexible fabric silos could be filled with a precise amount of sugar and then the gates would be opened so sugar could enter the screw feeders. Engineers at KWS created a 3D representation of the existing installation site and supports to make sure the new screw feeders fit perfectly into the existing structure. The screw feeders were engineered to operate at relatively low speeds to reduce product degradation.