Field Operator Certification

Screw Conveyor
Lesson Plan
 Screw Conveyors - Lesson Plan

Screw Conveyors Lesson Plan

Instructor Notes

Lesson Preparation
 Review your Lesson Plan materials for this Lesson and become familiar with the content. Consider adding your own plant
specific information where appropriate and/or deleting content that may not apply to your plant.
 Review the PowerPoint slides for this Lesson and where appropriate, add in your own slides showing specific Screw Conveyors in
your own plant.
 Review the Learner Guide for this Lesson, paying particular attention to the Troubleshooting and Inspection sections and ensure
that you have your own copy of the Learner Guide. Although the Inspection procedures will not be covered in detail in this
Lesson, they will need to be reviewed from the Learner Guide and the participants will need to be told that Inspections form part
of the on-the-job (OJT) training component.
 Print out the required number of copies of the Learner Guide to ensure that each participant receives a copy.

Lesson Equipment & Materials

 Screw Conveyor Lesson
 Screw Conveyor PowerPoint slides 1 - 31
 Screw Conveyor Learner Guide
 Screw Conveyor Certification Guide
 Flipchart easel & paper or whiteboard
 Flipchart or whiteboard markers

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 Screw Conveyors - Lesson Plan

Notes
 This Lesson should take approximately 45 minutes to complete in a standard classroom training format
 Once you have completed the Lesson, consider taking the participants on a ‘field trip’ in the plant to view and further discuss
Screw Conveyors in your plant
 Remember to use “B” or the period to pause and blackout your PowerPoint slides when you need to spend time on a particular
point. Click on your mouse to re-activate the PowerPoint presentation back to the current slide

Objectives
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

 Have the Lesson Plan introductory slide showing at the beginning of Slide #1
the training session

 If this is your first lesson, welcome the class and ensure that an
appropriate introduction of both participants and yourself takes place

 Let participants know approximately how long this lesson will take to
complete

 Transition to the next slide and review the Lesson Objectives

Objectives  Display slide and review lesson objectives Slide #2

2 – 5 mins
 Note to participants that this list covers all objectives (both in-class/self-
paced and on-the-job objectives). Note that performing inspections will
be part of the OJT

1. State the purpose of a Screw Conveyor

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Objectives
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

2. Name the main components of a Screw Conveyor

3. Explain the principle of operation of a Screw Conveyor
4. Describe the classifications of Screw Conveyor flights and the
configurations commonly used in cement manufacturing
5. State the applications for Screw Conveyors
6. Describe the running and static inspections for Screw Conveyors
7. Describe the troubleshooting of common Screw Conveyor problems
8. State safety concerns related to Screw Conveyors
9. Perform a running and a static inspection on a Screw Conveyor (OJT)
 Ask participants if there are any questions concerning the objectives;
answer as required and then transition to the next slide

Objective 1 - Purpose
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Purpose  If participants are experienced Field Operators, consider asking them Slide #3
2 – 3 mins what the purpose of a Screw Conveyor is and then, using the slide,
reinforce the learning content
If your participants are not experienced, show the slide and review the
learning content

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 Screw Conveyors - Lesson Plan

Objective 1 - Purpose
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

 The purpose of a Screw Conveyor is to transport material from one location

to another

Objective 2 - Components
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Component List  Continue to display the same Screw Conveyor slide and ask Slides #4-5
5– 10 mins participants to brainstorm a list of components for a Screw Conveyor
Write down the list of components using either flipchart paper or a
whiteboard

 Display the next slide (Components) and review the list, comparing
participants’ list and the one on the slide. The list is provided below for
your information

 Screw Conveyor Inlet Chute

 Screw Flights
 Coupling Shafts
 Drive Shafts
 End Shafts
 Move to slide 5 here

 Support Bearings Types

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Objective 2 - Components
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

 Friction (Hanger Bearings)

 Antifriction (Roller Bearings)
 Shaft Seals
 Screw Trough
 Screw Conveyor Drive
 Screw Conveyor Discharge Chute
 Once you have reviewed the component list, ask participants (if they
are experienced) to identify where each component is located on the
graphic. If participants are not experienced, point out where each
component is located

 Show the next three slides as follows: Slides # 6-8

 Screw Conveyor Drive (photo)

 Screw Conveyor Drive (detailed photo)
 Hanger Bearing (photo)

Objective 3 – Principle of Operation

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Operation  Ask participants, if experienced, to explain how a Screw Conveyor Slides #9-10
5 – 10 mins operates. Alternatively, have participants split into pairs and write

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Objective 3 – Principle of Operation

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

down on flipchart paper, how a Screw Conveyor operates and then

review their results in plenary session and supplement their results with
the learning content below and the slide.

 If participants are not experienced, show the slide and review the
content

 The Screw Conveyor is comprised of flight sections that are typically

fabricated from a continuous helix mounted on a supporting shaft or pipe
 This assembly is then mounted within a stationary trough
 The material is introduced into the Screw Conveyor inlet chute where the
face of the rotating helix advances the material forward by shearing it
between the bottom and sides of the screw flights and the trough housing
 The rotation of the screw also lifts the material in the direction of rotation
 Each revolution of the screw advances the material one pitch length in a
continuous shearing and tumbling motion until the material is discharged
out of the screw trough

Objective 4 – Screw Conveyor Flights & Configurations

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Introduction  Note to participants that you’ll now be reviewing Screw Conveyor Slide #11
1 – 2 mins Flights and configurations and will review each one in more detail
shortly

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Objective 4 – Screw Conveyor Flights & Configurations

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Screw Flight Classifications

 There are two types of screw flight classifications

 Left Hand Screws
 Have flights wrapped on the shaft in a counter clockwise direction
 Right Hand Screws
 Have flights wrapped on the shaft in a clockwise direction
 The determination of right or left hand wrap of a screw can be seen from
both ends
Screw Flights  Review the list of Screw Flights on slide 12 and then discuss each one Slides #12-13
8 – 10 mins with subsequent slides

 For each of the following display the appropriate slide and explain each
feature of the screw flights
Ask participants if they’ve seen these screw flights used in the plant and
where they’ve seen it used

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 Screw Conveyors - Lesson Plan

Objective 4 – Screw Conveyor Flights & Configurations

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Standard Pitch Single Flight

 Pitch equal to screw diameter (considered standard)

Suitable for wide range of materials in most conventional

applications
Slide #14
Half Pitch Single Flight
 Similar to short pitch, except pitch is reduced to ½ standard pitch
 Useful for inclined applications, Screw Conveyors or for handling
extremely fluid materials
Slide #15
Variable Pitch Single Flight
 Flights with increasing pitch
 Used only in Screw Feeders to provide uniform withdrawal of fine, free-
flowing materials over full length of inlet opening
Slide #16
Double Flight Standard Pitch
 Provide smooth, regular material flow and uniform movement of fine
materials .

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Objective 4 – Screw Conveyor Flights & Configurations

Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide
Slide # 17
Single Flight Ribbon
 Excellent for conveying sticky of viscous materials
 Open space between flights and pipe eliminates collection and build up of
the material
 Not used in feeder applications
 Show example of Fuller Screw on this slide Slide #18

Objective 5 - Applications
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Applications  Ask participants to list all applications for Screw Conveyors in the Slide #19
2 – 5 mins plant. Supplement their answers with the slide and content provided
below

 Quarry Operation
 Raw Grinding
 Pyroprocessing
 Finish Grinding
 Bulk Loading

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Objective 6 - Inspections
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Running Inspection Notes to Instructor: Slide #20

10 – 15 mins
 The full inspection procedure will be carried out during the OJT part of
this training. The section is included to allow a brief discussion of what
is involved in inspecting Screw Conveyors, both from a running and
static inspection perspective.
 Establish a rationale for inspecting equipment if you have not done so
in a previous lesson

 Create two flipchart pages – one titled “Running” and one titled
“Static”
Ask participants to close their Learner Guides and brainstorm a list of
inspection points for each type of inspection and record the information
on the flipcharts. Allow 5 – 8 minutes to complete this activity.

 Once the lists are completed, ask participants to review the inspection
checklists provided in their Learner Guides. Allow 10 minutes for this
review. Tell participants that they will be performing full inspections as
part of their on-the-job training and that they will also be tested on
their understanding of the various steps that comprise a full inspection
procedure.
Discuss any questions participants have about inspections

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Objective 7 - Troubleshooting
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Material Flow  Ask participants to close their Learner Guides Slide #21
Problem
5 – 10 mins  For the following common problem ask participants how they would
recognize the problem and what actions would be required. Record
their information on flipchart paper or on a whiteboard and
supplement as required

 Loss of Material Flow

 Alternatively, you could also have participants divide into pairs to
complete this activity and have them record their information on
flipchart to then be reviewed in plenary session

 Once complete, allow participants 10 minutes to review the

Troubleshooting section of their Learner Guides and note to
participants that they will be tested on troubleshooting

 Answer any questions that participants may have on troubleshooting

prior to moving to the next topic

Objective 8 - Safety
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Safety  As an interactive class activity, have participants suggest Safety Slides #22-23

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Objective 8 - Safety
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide
8 - 10 mins
Concerns related to Screw Conveyors and record the information on
flipchart paper

 Alternatively, have participants write this information on the Safety

Work page of their Learner Guides

 Ensure that the following points have been made and add any other
safety concerns pertinent to your plant operation

 Always lock out Screw Conveyor prior to performing any service on the
Conveyor
 Be aware that Screw Conveyors are controlled automatically and can start
and stop at any time
 Be aware of all Conveyor nip points
 Never attempt to remove build-up off Conveyor components while
operating
 Keep clothing, fingers, hair, and other parts of the body away from
Conveyor drive components
 Never climb or step onto Screw Conveyor lids as they are not generally
designed to support the weight of an individual
 Inspect Conveyor guards for damage and support integrity
 Know the location and function of all control stations
 Keep all control stations free from obstructions to ensure access at all times

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Objective 8 - Safety
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

 Keep area around Conveyors clear of obstructions

 Report all unsafe conditions or practices immediately

Lesson Review
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

Lesson Review  Test for understanding by having participants complete the Review Slides #24 -31
15 – 20 mins Exercise in their Learner Guide. Ask participants to attempt to
complete the questions without the aid of the information in their
Learner Guides

 Review the answers as a class activity and ask participants to provide

answers to the questions. Supplement their answers with the slides as
indicated.
NOTE: Each question is contained on one slide. The answer
information is ‘animated’ on the slide and will be activated as you click
your mouse.

1. State the purpose of the Screw Conveyor

2. Name 5 components of a Screw Conveyor
3. How far forward does the material move in 3 rotations of the screw if the
pitch is 12 inches long?
4. Describe 3 types of screw flights commonly used in cement manufacturing

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Lesson Review
Topic Instructor Activities Graphic/Slide

5. Describe 3 applications for Screw Conveyors in cement manufacturing

6. Describe 5 inspection points for a Screw Conveyor
7. Describe 3 conditions that could explain a loss of material flow
8. State 3 safety hazards associated with Screw Conveyors
 Clarify any misunderstanding with these questions

 Summarize the lesson, ask for any final questions and answer as
required

 End the lesson

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