History of Screw Conveyor Development

The development of screw conveyors can be divided into two types: shafted screw conveyors and shaftless screw conveyors . Shafted screw conveyors consist of a screw, a U-shaped trough, a cover plate, inlet and outlet ports, and a drive unit. They are generally available in horizontal, inclined, and vertical types. Shaftless screw conveyors, on the other hand, use a shaftless screw instead of a screw, and have a replaceable liner installed in the U-shaped trough. They have a simple structure, and the material is fed in through the inlet, driven by the screw, and discharged through the outlet. The entire transmission process can be carried out in a sealed trough. Generally speaking, the screw conveyors we usually refer to are shafted screw conveyors.

For many materials that are difficult to convey, people have been looking for a reliable conveying method, and shaftless screw conveyors are a better solution [2]. From the mid-17th century, aerial cableways began to be used for transporting bulk materials. In 1887, Archimedes invented the screw conveyor, which was later improved and widely used in industry for transporting bulk and solid materials. Following a long period of development, a series of screw conveyors were gradually developed, leading to significant advancements in the industry.

The GX-type screw conveyor is one of the earliest types of screw conveyors and was also one of the first general-purpose production equipment standardized and manufactured in my country. It is primarily designed for conveying powdery, granular, and small lump materials. It is not suitable for conveying easily perishable, sticky, or easily agglomerated materials, or large pieces of material, as these materials tend to stick to the screw and rotate with it, or cause blockages at the hanger bearings, greatly hindering the material transport process. The advantages of the GX-type screw conveyor are significant energy saving and reduced consumption. Its head and tail bearings are located outside the casing, providing good dustproof sealing, low noise, strong adaptability, convenient operation and maintenance, and flexible inlet and outlet placement. Disadvantages include high power consumption, rapid wear of machine parts, and severe material crushing during transport.

The LS type screw conveyor is a new generation screw conveyor that is modified and designed based on the GX type conveyor. The LS type screw conveyor is characterized by its novel structure, reliable performance, advanced technical indicators, wide range of applications, and significant energy saving and consumption reduction.