New from Flexicon is a Sanitary Tilt-Down Flexible Screw Conveyor on a caster-mounted frame that can be maneuvered through narrow aisles and around corners. With the hopper, support boom and conveyor assembly tilted down, the unit fits through standard doorways and orients the conveyor tube horizontally, allowing the flexible screw to be removed easily for thorough cleaning and inspection. The conveyor’s surge hopper, which is configured for dust-tight connection to the outlet of upstream equipment, includes an air displacement vent with cartridge filter that is equipped with a reverse pulse cleaning system that dislodges accumulated dust with short bursts of compressed air, returning the dust to the hopper on a timed cycle, maintaining operating efficiency.
Material flows through the hopper into an adapter that charges the conveyor. The flexible screw is driven only at the discharge end and does not require any bearings or seals within the product contact area. As the flexible screw rotates in the material, it self-centers within the tube, providing ample clearance between the screw and tube wall to eliminate or minimize grinding. The conveyor transports bulk ingredients ranging from sub-micron powders to large pellets, while the gentle rolling action of material being conveyed prevents the separation of blends.
The enclosed tube prevents product and plant contamination and permits thorough wash-down. Removing a clean-out cap at the intake end of the conveyor tube allows rapid emptying and flushing of the tube as well as disassembly and wash-down of components. The rugged inner screw is the only moving part contacting material, resulting in reduced maintenance and increased reliability. A broad range of specialized screws is available to handle free- and non-free-flowing bulk materials, including products that pack, cake, smear, seize, plug or fluidize. The mobile conveyor frame is constructed of stainless steel (shown) or in carbon steel with durable industrial coatings, and can be finished to sanitary or industrial standards.