Selecting the best conveyor for an application

The benefits of four different types of conveyors including flexible screw, aero-mechanical, vacuum and pneumatic are discussed. Such conveyors are used for conveying a wide variety of dry bulk solids and ingredients in the food, chemical, mineral, ceramic, pharmaceutical, plastics, rubber, water and many other industries. It is important that the manufacturer shares as much information with the supplier at the outset as possible to avoid the risk of any difficulties. The benefit of flexible screw type of conveyor is it simplicity that results in initial cost, quick installation time, and low maintenance. Aero-mechanical conveyors offer negligible degradation of material, while vacuum conveyors are used when materials are conveyed through an enclosed pipeline. Pneumatic conveyors do not pose any limitation on capacity, product type, distance or routing. Other types of conveyors include rigid screw conveyors, bucket elevators, flat belt conveyors, vibratory feeders, and air slides.