A low friction chain slat arrangement is used in spiral conveyors to provide continuous, smooth vertical transfer of product in either direction from upper and lower levels.

Astec Conveyors launched their new range of spiral conveyors at PPMA 2003, to provide continuous, smooth vertical transfer of product in either direction from upper and lower levels. Offering one of the smallest foot print areas, Astec spirals are available in painted mild steel or food quality stainless steel. These versatile conveyors will transport cartons, totes, fresh produce, sacks, shrink wrapped product, bundles, single cans and bottles, etc; providing low cost, reliable conveying with minimum maintenance.

Astec spiral conveyors represent a new concept in vertical conveying, based on a low friction chain slat arrangement and utilising high quality components that require minimum maintenance.

Conveyor slats are supported by precision sealed 'lubricated for life'roller bearings, riding on a polyurethane guide surface that takes up the forces caused by a tight radius, whilst increasing the load carrying capacity of the heavy duty chain.

These design features contribute to smooth operation, high speed throughput, low noise level and a long, trouble free life.

Astec spiral conveyors need only one drive, even for units with 12 turns and, equates to substantial savings in controls and systems integration.

Standard load capacity is 50kg.m.

and the maximum recommended speed for a spiral conveyor is 60 metres per minute.

As a norm, the angle of incline is between 80 - 110 which safeguards against loads slipping during conveying, but this angle can be lowered further to cater for unstable or slick products.

Slats are made of a re-inforced polycarbonate, available in a range of widths (200 to 650mm) and can be furnished with friction inserts to accommodate slick products such as plastic totes or frozen items.

Special slats are also available for applications in freezers, as well as anti-static and acid resistant products.

The slats and carriers need no maintenance and, if required, can easily be replaced as single components.

Elevating safety first : * Overload Protection - The geared motor is provided with an overload safety device which will protect against a current overload or jammed conveyor chain.

* Automatic Chain Tensioning - Fitted with safety chain and spring loaded automatic chain tensioning device as standard.

* Safety Guarded - no additional safety fencing is required.

Most spirals are shipped in one piece, pre-assembled and pre-tested to reduce onsite time, installation costs and avoid disruption to ongoing operations.

Designed to elevate/ lowerate product, the versatile spiral conveyors are simple to install and can be supplied with controls to interface with other suppliers equipment.

Of modular construction, several standard model configurations are available to accommodate a wide range of loads/ applications and can have extended in-feed/ out-feed conveyors.

The Astec slat arrangement can be used as flexible conveyor outside of the spiral and offers optimum system design capabilities.

One drive, subject to loading, can handle up to 80 metres of conveyor, reducing the number of conveyor transitions and in turn, costs of installations and system integration.

Astec's spiral conveyor can also be configured to provide an efficient dynamic intermediate storage or buffering solution between processing or packaging equipment, by arranging spirals in clusters and subject to system controls.