Special Screw Conveyor with Magnetic Separation Technology

General Description

Rantoul Foods provides some of the world’s finest pork products to consumers. Committed to the American farmer, local communities and adhering to impeccable quality standards are a trademark of Rantoul Foods. Rantoul partners with over 175 farms that are about 300 miles from Rantoul, IL. living up to the adage, good pork comes from good family farms.

Rantoul had an aging screw conveyor that needed replacing as well as upgrading. Upgrades would include enhancing the design, materials of construction, and a unique magnetic separation feature engineered and manufactured by KWS. With quality and customer satisfaction at the forefront, KWS was the only company considered for this unique opportunity.

Design Parameters

1. Product Type: Uniformly Fed Meat
2. Material Density: 45 to 50 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
3. Conveyor Capacity: 32,000 Pounds Per Hour
4. Moisture Content: 25 to 30-Percent
5. Duty: 24 Hours per Day, 7 Days per Week

KWS Advantages

KWS met with Rantoul Foods to discuss the application and determine current and long-term needs. The existing system had two screw conveyors in tandem. Original materials of construction were carbon steel, causing issues with corrosion and product contamination. Consideration of safety factors as well as food facility requirements were considered for the new, upgraded design.

With the special requirements in mind, KWS field engineers measured the equipment footprint required with lasers as well as traditional tape measures and verified every dimension. The second screw conveyor was in a very tight space and needed to be dimensionally correct to achieve a flawless installation. KWS field engineers regularly provide valuable engineering services to end users for solving many bulk material handling problems.

KWS Special Features

The new KWS screw conveyors utilized 304 stainless steel construction with heavy-duty flights, welded continuously on heavy-wall pipe. The screws were close coupled and clocked with three-bolt drilling to form a continuous helix for uninterrupted material conveyance. A special dead-end shaft was used on the tail end to eliminate the need for an end bearing. The dead-end shaft design allows for zero leakage and removes a maintenance point. The lower end of the inclined screw conveyor has a perforated trough section to drain excess liquids. As the screw rotates, the perforations are wiped clean and kept open. Full-length shrouds were installed in the troughs for maximum conveying efficiency.

The second screw conveyor was engineered with magnetic separation for removing metal from the meat. Rare earth magnets fit perfectly in pockets on the cover to remove any foreign steel items from upstream equipment. The pockets for the rare earth magnets were equipped with a safety latching door so upon opening, any magnetic material would simply fall into a refuse container. With safety always the primary concern, no covers needed to be removed at any time for this process.

With the highest quality standards in the industry, along with unique, creative design and rugged heavy-duty construction, KWS provided features and benefits for Rantoul Foods that exceed expectations and provide real customer satisfaction.