Tube conveyors are enclosed systems used to move materials in controlled environments. They come in two types: platform and screw. Platform conveyors use discs or paddles to separate compartments, while screw conveyors have a single screw that moves material along its teeth. Platform conveyors require a second pipe to return the blank discs, while screw conveyors cannot separate materials but are less bulky.
A tube conveyor is a type of enclosed material conveying system. The basic design includes a long tube and one of two internal carrying systems, platforms and screws. A platform-based system has the inner workings operating on a long loop; the platforms go through the pipe and then down to the start to come back up. A screw tube conveyor has a single screw that fills the internal area of the tube and does not move from a fixed position. The two styles perform the same basic task, but their application is very different.
The idea behind a tube conveyor is to move the material in a controlled, enclosed area. In general, the material must be separated from the environment for some reason. Sometimes the material is hazardous and needs a layer of separation that a typical tape does not provide. In other cases, the material must be protected from environmental hazards, such as wind or rain. This type is especially common when the conveyor system operates outdoors.
There are two basic ways to build a pipe conveyor: platform and auger. Platform conveyors have round discs linked together with a chain. These discs fit tightly inside the tube, making the area between the platforms safe from each other. Since each compartment is separate, it is in fact possible to convey different materials on the same system. The most common variation of this style of conveyor features paddles rather than discs; this style does not fully separate compartments but has limited separation.
The biggest drawback to this style of transport is the platforms themselves. These machines work like a standard conveyor belt; the chain and discs form a loop that runs continuously through the tube. After a platform exits one end of the system, there must be a way to get it back to the other end safely. As a result, many of these systems actually have two pipes, one that takes the material and the other that returns the blank discs.
The other major variety of tube conveyors is the worm. These tubes have a single large screw that goes from one end to the other. As the screw turns, it feeds material along its teeth, slowly moving it upward. The tube is essentially one huge compartment that spirals from one end to the other.
This type of tube conveyor can move material without the need to return anything to the other end, making it less bulky than a platform conveyor. On the other hand, there is no way to separate the material. The material being transported is pushed much further than with the more stable platform system and the overall auger uses slightly more power.
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