Screw conveyors are essential conveying equipment in the food industry, providing an efficient, hygienic, and reliable way to transport materials within processing plants. Whether moving bulk ingredients, delicate powders, or finished food products, screw conveyors streamline production and ensure consistency. Their versatility makes them ideal for handling various food products while maintaining sanitary conditions and preventing cross-contamination.

Choosing the right screw conveyor can be a daunting task. In this article, we’ll explore different types of food products that need conveying equipment and highlight the key features to look for in a screw conveyor in the food industry. 

Types of Food Products Handled by Screw Conveyors

Screw conveyors in the food industry must accommodate a wide range of products, each with unique handling requirements. Common applications include:

• Powders & Dry Ingredients – Flour, sugar, spices, and other fine materials that require gentle handling to avoid degradation.
• Raw Ingredients – Whole grains, nuts, and seeds that must be transported without damage.
• Ready-to-Eat Foods – Processed and packaged food products that need sanitary handling.
• Brewing & Distilling – Transportation of malt, hops, and other raw materials for beer and spirits production.
• Dairy Industry – Moving whey, milk powder, and other dairy products safely and efficiently.
• Rendering & Animal By-Products – Managing meat, bone meal, and other by-products in compliance with industry standards.

Key Considerations for Selecting a Screw Conveyor

The first step in selecting the right screw conveyor features is to know your product and its properties. Important questions to consider include:

• What is the maximum particle size? Are the particles non-uniform and irregularly shaped? Is clogging a risk factor?
• Is your product free-flowing like a power or grain? Or is it sluggish?
• What is the density? What is the water content? Is it sticky?
• Is the product abrasive? Corrosive? Explosive? Generates static electricity? Flammable?
• How sensitive is your product to contamination, and is it prone to absorbing moisture?
• What is your required feed rate or capacity? What incline is needed?
• What will your new equipment be fed by, and what is your equipment going to feed into?
  
  

The answers to these questions will affect the conveying system’s design, features, horsepower, and more. Engineers will help calculate your required horsepower, the size and design of the screw, and other details. Let’s look at some of the most important features available for food industry screw conveyors and their benefits.

10 Key Features of an Ideal Screw Conveyor for the Food Industry

Here are ten key features or upgrades for food industry screw conveyors: 

1. Sanitary Design – Stainless steel or other FDA-approved materials ensure compliance with hygiene regulations and prevent contamination. Smooth, crevice-free surfaces reduce bacterial growth and make cleaning easier. Welds must be polished and smoothed out to eliminate pits or crevices. The conveyor is designed with quick disassembly components and CIP (Clean-in-Place) options to help maintain sanitation standards.
   
   
2. Customizable Configurations – Customization allows flexibility in conveying a variety of food products instead of a single, purpose-built conveying system. The ability to modify screw diameter, pitch, surface finishes, and flighting type to suit different food products will make a system significantly more versatile. 
   
   
3. Dust-Tight & Sealed Systems – Sealed systems prevent contamination and product loss, especially for powders and fine materials. Contamination prevention is crucial for many food products. Additionally, very dusty or flammable products (such as hay or powdered milk) can become a hazard or even be explosive. Very fine dust products may need additional safety measures to ensure no sparks or other ignition sources. Combustible dust safety equipment is essential when working with fine dust or grain. A screw conveyor for flammable or explosive material can be made with non-sparking materials to eliminate ignition sources, and pressure-tight housings will keep oxygen from entering the conveyor. The insides can be purged with an inert gas such as nitrogen. 
   
   
4. Corrosion Resistance – Corrosion-resistant materials are essential for food-grade applications, especially in moist environments. Moist productions or even corrosive products can quickly start to break down conveyors. Corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, coatings, and liners can all help protect your equipment from corrosion. 
   
   
5. Shaftless Screw Conveyors –  Sticky or viscous materials that contain high moisture, oil, or fat content create a lot of challenges. They tend to stick to the center helical screw of your conveying equipment. Ribbon flighting is a good option, but shaftless screw conveyors work even better in moving sticky materials.
   
   
6. Breaker Bars – Also known as “lump breakers,” these bars break up bulk materials (such as compost) that tend to compress, lump, or pack together as moisture content increases and pressure is applied. Screw conveyors with breaker bars require additional horsepower to break up lumps.
   
   
7. Temperature Control Options – Jacketed conveyors for heating or cooling help maintain product integrity, which is important for end users such as breweries, dairy farms, and more.
   
   
8. Variable Speed Controls – A variable speed motor allows precise control over material flow to prevent clogging and ensure consistency. Slower speeds are recommended for bulk materials that aerate and flow like liquids when conveyed, such as bulky but lightweight materials like grass, and fragile foods such as nuts.
   
   
9. Anti-Clogging Features – Proper flight design and agitation mechanisms reduce buildup and maintain efficiency.
   
   
10. CEMA Compliance – CEMA-approved equipment uses standardized components for easy replacement and maintenance. You can feel confident in equipment built to CEMA (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association) standards. 
    

The Benefits of Using CEMA Parts

Using CEMA (Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association) compliant parts ensures that your screw conveyor meets industry standards for reliability, interchangeability, and performance. KWS Manufacturing stocks a wide variety of CEMA screw conveyor parts, making maintenance and repairs cost-effective while ensuring that equipment functions optimally. Standardized components also facilitate scalability, allowing businesses to expand their conveying systems without costly customizations.

Professional Screw Conveyor Solutions 

Choosing the right screw conveyor for food industry applications is critical to maintaining efficiency, hygiene, and regulatory compliance. By selecting a conveyor with the right features, food manufacturers can ensure safe, consistent, and high-quality material handling. 

IBT’s Conveying Systems Division is ready with efficient solutions to all your conveying problems. We’ll guide you through the best options and features based on your requirements, ensuring the screw flighting, housing, materials, and horsepower are designed to efficiently move bulk materials. We work closely with one of the country’s leading screw conveyor manufacturers, KWS Manufacturing.

KWS Manufacturing specializes in engineering custom screw conveyor solutions designed for transporting bulk materials. They stock a wide variety of CEMA Standard conveying parts and systems,  in addition to offering custom-built solutions. Whether you’re moving grain, meats, coffee, ice, animal by-products, or fertilizer, KWS Manufacturing has the experience and expertise to provide the right solution.

Request a quote today to get started!