In the material handling process of modern industrial production, efficient and stable material transportation is the key to ensuring production continuity and product quality. As a widely used material conveying equipment, the spiral feeder, with its unique spiral propulsion principle and diverse structural design, can adapt to the conveying needs of powdery, granular, and even small block materials, and occupies an important position in many industries such as chemical, food, building materials, and pharmaceuticals. The following will provide a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to the spiral feeder from the aspects of equipment structure, working principle, core advantages, application scenarios, and development trends.

1、 Core structure composition of equipment

The spiral feeding machine is mainly composed of six core components: the driving device, the spiral conveying component, the material trough, the feeding port, the discharging port, and the control system. Each part cooperates with each other to form a complete material conveying system.

（1） Drive device

The driving device is the power source of the spiral feeder, usually composed of a motor, a reducer, and a coupling. As the power core, the motor often uses three-phase asynchronous motors, and its power is determined based on factors such as the conveying capacity, material characteristics, and conveying distance of the feeding machine. For example, scenarios with large conveying capacity and high material viscosity require the use of high-power motors. The function of a reducer is to reduce the motor speed and increase the torque. Common types include cycloidal pinwheel reducers, gear reducers, etc., to ensure that the screw shaft runs smoothly at the appropriate speed. The coupling is responsible for connecting the motor and the reducer to ensure reliable power transmission, while also having certain buffering and shock-absorbing functions to reduce vibration and noise during equipment operation.

（2） Spiral conveying component

The spiral conveying component is the core executing part of the spiral feeder, consisting of a spiral shaft and spiral blades. Spiral shafts are generally made of high-strength alloy steel and need to have sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the torque and pressure during material transportation. Spiral blades come in various forms based on material characteristics and conveying requirements: solid spiral blades are suitable for powdery and granular materials with good fluidity; Belt type helical blades are suitable for conveying materials with high viscosity or prone to clumping; Spiral blades are commonly used for conveying materials with high specific gravity and strong wear resistance. In addition, the parameters such as pitch and diameter of spiral blades will be optimized and designed according to actual working conditions. For example, in horizontal conveying, a smaller pitch can improve the stability of material conveying; When conveying vertically, a larger pitch helps to improve conveying efficiency.

（3） Material trough

The material trough is a key component that carries materials, and its structural forms mainly include U-shaped and tubular. The U-shaped material trough is suitable for horizontal or low angle conveying scenarios, with an upward opening design for easy observation of material conveying status and daily cleaning and maintenance; The tubular material trough is more suitable for vertical or large angle conveying, and good sealing can effectively prevent material leakage and dust flying. The selection of material for the trough depends on the characteristics of the material. For ordinary materials, carbon steel material can be used; In industries with high hygiene requirements such as food and pharmaceuticals, stainless steel materials are often used; When transporting corrosive materials, anti-corrosion materials such as plastic or rubber lining are used. The inner wall of the material trough is usually smoothed to reduce the friction between the material and the trough wall, reduce material residue, and improve conveying efficiency.

（4） Inlet and outlet

The feed inlet is located at the starting end of the hopper, and its design needs to ensure that materials can enter the hopper smoothly and are not easily blocked. Common feeding methods include gravity feeding and forced feeding. Gravity feeding is suitable for situations where the material has good fluidity and the silo position is high, and the material falls directly into the hopper under its own gravity; Forced feeding is achieved by using auxiliary equipment such as spiral feeders and vibrating feeders to force the material into the feeding trough, which is suitable for scenarios with poor material fluidity or requiring precise control of the feeding amount.

The discharge port is set at the end of the material trough, and its size and shape are determined according to the material characteristics and subsequent equipment requirements. To achieve precise control of material discharge speed and flow rate, control devices such as gate valves and butterfly valves are often installed at the discharge outlet. In applications that require extremely high discharge accuracy, measuring equipment such as weight loss scales and flow meters will also be equipped to meet the needs of precise measurement and transportation.

（5） Control system

The control system is based on PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or industrial computer as the core, combined with touch screen human-machine interaction interface (HMI). Operators can conveniently set the operating parameters of the feeding machine, such as conveying speed, running time, start stop conditions, etc., through the HMI. During the operation of the system, real-time monitoring of key parameters such as the current and voltage of the driving device, the speed of the screw shaft, and the material level in the hopper is carried out, and compared with the preset values. Once an abnormal situation occurs, such as motor overload, screw shaft blockage, material interruption, etc., the control system will immediately issue an audible and visual alarm and automatically take corresponding measures, such as stopping equipment operation, starting backup equipment, etc. In addition, the control system also supports remote monitoring and data recording functions, making it convenient for management personnel to grasp the real-time operation status of equipment, conduct production data analysis, and make management decisions.

2、 Working principle

The operation of the spiral feeder is based on the principle of spiral propulsion. After the driving device is started, the power output by the motor is reduced and twisted by the reducer, and transmitted to the screw shaft, causing the screw shaft to rotate at the set speed. Spiral blades generate axial thrust on materials during rotation. During horizontal conveying, the material is pushed by the spiral blades to overcome the frictional force with the chute and move in a straight line along the chute; When transported vertically or obliquely, the material is subjected to both the axial thrust of the spiral blades and its own gravity, forming a spiral upward or inclined upward motion trajectory in the material trough, thereby achieving material lifting and long-distance transportation.

During the conveying process, the motion state of the material is comprehensively influenced by the speed, pitch, diameter of the spiral blades, as well as the material's own characteristics such as particle size, humidity, viscosity, etc. By adjusting these parameters reasonably, the conveying effect of materials can be optimized to meet the requirements of different production processes for material conveying speed, conveying volume, and conveying accuracy.

3、 Core technological advantages

（1） Efficient and stable conveying capacity

The spiral feeder can achieve continuous and stable transportation of materials, with high conveying efficiency. According to different models and specifications, its conveying capacity can be flexibly adjusted between several tons to tens of tons per hour, which can meet the material conveying needs of large-scale industrial production. At the same time, by precisely controlling the speed and running time of the spiral shaft, it is possible to achieve quantitative material conveying, ensure the accuracy of material ratio in the production process, and provide guarantee for stable product quality.

（2） Wide material adaptability

This device is suitable for various forms of materials such as powder, granules, and small pieces, such as flour, cement, plastic pellets, ores, etc. By adjusting the form of spiral blades, chute structure, and operating parameters, it is possible to effectively cope with different material characteristics. Whether it is materials with good fluidity or materials with high viscosity and easy agglomeration, the spiral feeder can achieve good conveying effects and has strong universality and adaptability.

（3） Good sealing and environmental friendliness

The sealing design of the material trough, especially the tubular trough, can effectively prevent material leakage and dust flying, reduce pollution to the working environment, and meet environmental protection requirements. This advantage can significantly improve the workshop working environment, protect the health of operators, avoid material waste, and reduce production costs when transporting powdery materials such as cement and carbon black that are prone to flying.

（4） Flexible installation and layout adaptability

The spiral feeder has a compact structure and occupies a small area. It can be installed horizontally, vertically, or diagonally according to the actual situation of the production site, and can flexibly adapt to different production layouts. Whether it is a workshop with limited space or a complex production line, it can be easily installed and debugged, and seamlessly integrated with other production equipment to improve the overall coordination of the production system.

（5） Easy to operate and maintain

The human-machine interface design of the control system is simple and intuitive, and operators can proficiently master the equipment operation methods through simple training. The equipment structure is easy to maintain and repair, with detachable components such as screw shafts and material troughs, making it convenient to clean up material residues and perform daily maintenance. The drive device adopts standardized components, which are easy to replace and repair, effectively reducing equipment maintenance costs and downtime, and improving equipment utilization.

4、 Application scenarios

（1） Chemical industry

In the production and processing of chemical raw materials, spiral feeders are used to transport powdered and granular materials such as plastic resins, rubber additives, fertilizer raw materials, coatings and pigments. For example, in a plastic granulation production line, plastic resin particles are transported from the storage bin to the extruder hopper; In the production of coatings, materials such as pigments and fillers are transported to mixing equipment to achieve precise measurement and continuous transportation of raw materials, ensuring the stability and quality consistency of chemical product production.

（2） Food industry

In the field of food processing, screw feeders are widely used for conveying powdered food raw materials such as flour, starch, sugar powder, milk powder, seasonings, etc. In the production of baked goods such as bread and cookies, raw materials such as flour and sugar are transported from the storage bin to the mixer to ensure accurate proportioning and continuous supply of raw materials; In seasoning production, various spices, additives and other materials are transported to packaging equipment to help achieve automation and standardization of food production, ensuring food quality and safety.

（3） Building materials industry

In the production of building materials such as cement, dry powder mortar, gypsum powder, putty powder, etc., screw feeders play an important role in material conveying. During the cement production process, powdered materials such as cement clinker and gypsum are transported from grinding equipment to storage warehouses; In the production of dry mortar, cement, sand, additives, etc. are transported to the mixing equipment in proportion to provide guarantees for the quality and performance of building materials products, and improve the production efficiency of building materials.

（4） Pharmaceutical industry

The pharmaceutical process requires extremely high cleanliness and accuracy in material transportation. The spiral feeder is made of stainless steel material, with a smooth and easy to clean surface that meets the requirements of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). It can be used to transport powdered materials such as active ingredients and excipients of drugs, ensuring the hygiene and safety of the drug production process, preventing material contamination, and ensuring drug quality.

（5） Other industries

In the new energy industry, spiral feeders are used for conveying powdered materials such as lithium battery positive and negative electrode materials, electrolyte additives, etc; In the feed processing industry, it is used to transport feed raw materials such as corn meal and soybean meal; In the environmental protection industry, it is used to transport powdered waste such as sludge dry powder and incineration fly ash, providing reliable solutions for material transportation in various industries and promoting efficient operation of industrial production.

5、 Development Trends

In the future, spiral feeders will develop towards intelligence, energy efficiency, and multifunctionality. In terms of intelligence, by introducing sensors and artificial intelligence technology, equipment fault self diagnosis, automatic optimization of operating parameters, and remote monitoring can be achieved, improving equipment reliability and operational efficiency; In terms of energy conservation, measures such as optimizing spiral structure design and adopting high-efficiency energy-saving motors are taken to reduce equipment energy consumption and respond to the concept of green production; Multifunctionality is reflected in the development of composite feeding machines with multiple functions such as metering, mixing, heating, cooling, etc., to meet the diverse needs of different production processes. Meanwhile, with the continuous application of new materials and processes, the performance and service life of spiral feeders will be further improved, providing stronger support for the sustainable development of industrial production.