Twin-Screw Conveyor for Filter Cake at Battery Manufacturing Facility

General Description

An integrated critical battery materials company required a reliable bulk material handling solution for receiving discharged material from a plate and frame filter press. The company processes battery metals and critical materials for use in the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery supply chain, serving industries such as electric vehicles, energy storage, consumer electronics, and advanced manufacturing. The application required a conveying solution capable of accepting damp, sticky filter cake and promoting consistent discharge to downstream processing equipment.

Twin-Screw Conveyor Receives Cake from Plate and Frame Filter Press

Design Parameters

Product Type: Black Mass Filter Cake
Material Density: 104 Lbs. per Cubic Foot
Conveyor System Capacity: 127 Cubic feet per Hour
Duty: Intermittent

KWS Advantages

KWS designed a twin-screw conveyor to receive material directly from the plate and frame filter press and provide controlled discharge from the collection point. Filter press cake can bridge, smear, and compact, making it difficult to move with conventional conveyor designs. The twin-screw arrangement increased the live bottom area and improved material drawdown across the inlet. The engineered design provided the customer with a robust, application-specific solution for handling a difficult bulk material directly after filtration.

KWS Special Features

The twin-screw conveyor was constructed entirely from 304 stainless steel for corrosion resistance and long-term durability in a demanding process environment. Stainless steel construction also provided a clean, high-quality finish suitable for battery material processing applications where product purity and equipment integrity are important.

Single-piece screws with ribbon flighting eliminate internal hanger bearings and improve strength, reliability, and conveying performance with damp or sticky filter cake. Ribbon flights provide open space between the flighting and center pipe, reducing bulk material buildup and improving material flow.

Independent gear reducers were utilized on each screw to provide maximum torque transmission and dependable operation under variable loading conditions. In addition, the independent gear reducers also provided better control of each screw, reduced mechanical complexity between the screws, and improved serviceability. The twin-screw design provided positive discharge from the filter press collection area while minimizing stagnant zones inside the trough.

The conveyor was designed to be reversible with two discharge points: a primary discharge for main process flow and a secondary discharge for filter press cleaning. Both discharges are equipped with custom-designed pneumatic roller slide gates designed for the application to cut off bulk material flow.

Customer Testimonial

“We couldn’t be happier with the performance of the KWS twin-screw conveyor. It is extremely robust and meets the demands of our process effortlessly.”

Plant Manager – Battery Materials Company