Kalamazoo, MI – Hapman, a global leader in the design and manufacture of custom bulk material handling equipment, is proud to highlight its CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor. This advanced conveyor combines gentle handling, efficiency, and compliance with the most demanding food industry standards.

The CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor is designed specifically for gentle, clean and efficient transport of products, such as cereals, grains, nuts, frozen foods, pet food, and other delicate items. The CablePro system features FDA-compliant components, including food-grade coatings and stainless-steel tubing. Another key feature of the CablePro are the self-lubricating UHMW disks, which are injection-molded directly onto a pre-stretched, food-grade oil-lubricated stainless-steel braided cable with a nylon coating. This unique construction helps maintain product integrity and meets the stringent sanitation standards required by the food and beverage industry.

The CablePro is available with all-metal or clear sight glass inspection tubes for improved visibility. Integrated cleaning accessories, such as wiper disks, scraper disks, brush boxes, air knives, and single-use sponge disks, support thorough cleaning for food-handling safety.

CablePro incorporates an auto-tensioner as standard, to maintain the optimal cable tension, extending the cable and disc life while reducing maintenance. Its sealed design with integral drains also supports Clean-In-Place (CIP) protocols, allowing for easier and faster cleaning through various cleaning options, such as mechanical scrapers, fluid rinse and foam cleaners.

To further streamline installation, the tubing is engineered and cut to application length, sanitary flanged, and match-marked, enabling labor-saving and fast assembly. The optional sanitary flanged connections enable fully seated tube ends which guarantees a tight gap fit, helping prevent product harborage and contamination. For increased flexibility, standard tube lengths may be field-cut and joined with compression couplers for easy on-site customization. The CablePro system also offers integrated floor and ceiling mount options for enhanced installation stability.

The CablePro can be seamlessly integrated with other Hapman products and systems, including Bulk Bag Unloaders, Bulk Bag fillers, PosiPortion feeders for precise product delivery, and SolidQuid® liquid-solid mixing systems. This flexibility enables manufacturers to optimize their processes and achieve higher productivity while maintaining quality.

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Material handling problems rarely start with the equipment—they start with the material. In this webinar, Hapman Vice President Matt Richardson explains how material characteristics such as flowability, aeration, particle size, bulk density, moisture, and particle shape directly affect the performance and reliability of conveyors and bulk material processing systems.

Using real lab testing, application examples, and field experience, the session walks through why materials that appear similar on paper can behave very differently in practice—and how those differences influence conveyor selection, system layout, and long-term operation. This webinar is intended for engineers, operators, and project teams responsible for specifying, designing, or troubleshooting bulk solids handling systems.

Webinar Summary

This webinar explores how fundamental material properties drive the success—or failure—of bulk material handling systems. Topics include flow behavior, aeration and fluidization, particle size and shape, bulk density variation, packing and smearing tendencies, and the impact of air movement within conveying systems. The discussion highlights why understanding these characteristics early is essential to selecting the right conveyor type, minimizing wear, preventing plugging, and achieving consistent process performance.

Drawing on decades of application experience and in-house testing, Hapman demonstrates how material behavior influences everything from feeder and conveyor selection to hopper design, discharge methods, and system maintenance requirements.

Key Takeaways

• Material flowability and angle of repose strongly influence hopper design and inlet performance
• Aerating and fluidizing materials require special consideration to prevent backflow, flooding, and loss of control
• Particle size, shape, and size distribution affect packing, segregation, and conveyor clearances
• Bulk density can vary significantly between loose and compacted states, impacting throughput and equipment sizing
• Packing, smearing, and cohesive materials demand slower speeds, agitation, and specific design features
• Air movement—displaced, induced, or generated—plays a major role in dust control, accuracy, and system stability
• Conveyor selection should account for material behavior over time, not just initial performance

Have a material handling challenge you’re trying to solve?

Hapman works with processors and engineers to evaluate material behavior, test real-world conditions, and design bulk material handling systems that perform reliably in production. If you’re planning a new system—or troubleshooting an existing one—our team can help assess material characteristics and recommend the right approach.

Contact Hapman to discuss your application or request material testing.

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Inside Hapman’s CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor

Hapman’s CablePro Tubular Drag conveyor gives consumers and pet food processors a gentle, hygienic way to move fragile products while supporting strict industry standards. Designed for dry, delicate materials, it helps protect product quality, simplify cleaning, and streamline integration with existing systems.​

Gentle handling for delicate products

The CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor is built to move cereals, grains, nuts, frozen foods, pet food, and other fragile products. Its enclosed, cable-and-disc conveying method supports controlled, low-impact movement to help maintain product integrity from infeed to discharge.​

The system uses injection-molded UHMW disks permanently bonded to a pre-stretched, food-grade oil-lubricated stainless-steel braided cable with a nylon coating. Joining the cable ends together is our patent-pending cable connection. This simplified, robust, and intuitive design allows the cable to be assembled quickly, getting manufacturers back up and running in less time. This construction minimizes disk wear, reduces friction, and helps keep conveyed products intact as they travel through the line.​

Hygienic design for food safety

CablePro incorporates FDA-compliant components, including food-grade coatings and stainless-steel tubing, to support compliance with demanding food and beverage standards. The conveyor’s sealed design helps protect products from external contamination while also containing dust and fines within the system.​

To further support sanitation goals, the system is available with all-metal or clear sight glass inspection tubes that improve visibility during operation and cleaning verification. Integrated cleaning accessories, including wiper disks, scraper disks, brush boxes, air knives, and single-use sponge disks, help processors thoroughly clean internal surfaces between product runs.​

Streamlined cleaning and maintenance

The CablePro conveyor includes an auto-tensioner as standard, maintaining optimal cable tension to extend cable and disk life while reducing routine maintenance interventions. Consistent tension also supports stable conveying performance, which can help limit unexpected downtime and protect throughput.​

Its sealed construction with integral drains supports Clean-In-Place protocols, enabling mechanical scraping, fluid rinses, and foam cleaning methods without extensive disassembly. By simplifying cleaning procedures, processors can shorten changeover times, improve allergen control, and keep production schedules on track.​

Flexible installation and integration

To speed installation, CablePro tubing is engineered and cut to the application length, and match marked before shipment, so crews can assemble the system more quickly on-site. Optional sanitary flanged connections enable fully seated tube ends, helping achieve a tight gap fit that reduces the risk of product harborage and buildup.​

For facilities that need additional flexibility, standard tube lengths can be field-cut and joined with compression couplers for on-site customization. Integrated floor and ceiling mount options further support stable installation in tight or complex layouts.​

Part of a complete Hapman system

The CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyors can be integrated with Hapman Bulk Bag Unloaders and Bulk Bag Fillers to create a continuous, contained material handling flow from receipt to packaging. They also pair well with PosiPortion® feeders for precise, metered product delivery and with SolidQuid systems for efficient liquid–solid mixing applications.​

By pairing CablePro with these upstream and downstream solutions, manufacturers can design cohesive material handling lines that support higher productivity while maintaining product quality and hygiene. This system-level approach aligns with Hapman’s focus on practical, customer-driven bulk material handling solutions backed by decades of industry experience.

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Kalamazoo, MI – Hapman, a global leader in custom bulk material handling equipment, is proud to highlight the TubePro Tubular Drag Conveyor, a comprehensive solution designed to transport a wide range of materials with precision and efficiency. The TubePro is engineered to convey blended, friable, large particle, or smearing materials without compromising product integrity, making it suitable for a variety of demanding applications.  Featuring a fully enclosed, dust-tight design that contains dusty, odorous, toxic, or hazardous materials, the TubePro supports zero-emission operation and creates a safer work environment. This construction makes the TubePro a dependable choice for facilities with strict containment requirements.

Operational flexibility is a key advantage of the TubePro. The conveyor can move product vertically, horizontally, at any angle, and around corners, with effortless configuration of inlets and outlets to fit specific facility layouts. Customizable leg lengths and bend angles allow the TubePro to meet the unique needs of every installation, and Hapman’s application engineers work directly with customers to develop the most efficient layout for each project.

Product is transported en masse between flights, exposing it to minimal turbulence and reducing the risk of abrasive degradation. This gentle movement preserves material quality during transfer. The TubePro operates at high torque and low speed, resulting in energy-efficient performance and lower operating costs. The conveyor can also stop and restart while fully loaded, minimizing waste and reducing downtime during operation.

Durability is built into every TubePro system, with heavy Schedule 40 pipe construction, slotted round flanges, and continuously welded, offset connections that create an interlocking pipe structure for long service life. The TubePro offers several options to further enhance performance and adaptability. Multiple chain and flight options, including round link, drop forged rivetless, and engineered seal-pin chains, are available to reduce fatigue, wear, and stretching, supporting a wide range of applications. Available enhancements include the Airknife, Chain Hammer, Brush Box, and Self-Cleaning Discharge Gate.

The Airknife uses a focused stream of air to remove residual material from the chain and flights, ensuring a clean and efficient operation. The Chain Hammer provides mechanical agitation to dislodge stubborn material, further reducing buildup and carryover. The Brush Box, typically used for waste material, utilizes dual spinning brushes to remove stuck debris from flights and chain, helping prevent carryover and ensuring thorough cleaning. The Self-Cleaning Discharge Gate is an intermediate discharge point that can be installed at any location along the conveyor side of the tube conveyor, allowing for full discharge of material and preventing product from getting trapped. The Vibrating Hammer can be placed at discharge points to free material that might otherwise cling to the chain flights.

With its combination of gentle handling, energy efficiency, robust construction, and a range of adaptable features, the TubePro Tubular Drag Conveyor provides a dependable and effective solution for bulk material handling. Facilities can rely on the TubePro to maintain product quality, streamline operations, and support safe, dust-free material transport across a variety of industries.

About Hapman:

Hapman is a global leading designer and manufacturer of custom bulk material handling equipment for a variety of industries. With 80 years of experience, Hapman provides innovative solutions that improve efficiency and productivity in material handling processes.

For more information about the TubePro Tubular Drag Conveyor and to explore how Hapman can enhance your bulk material handling processes, contact sales@hapman.com.

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Customer Challenge: A Pennsylvania-based food manufacturer producing layered high-protein bars, granola bars, baked cookies, breakfast squares, brownies, and other high-protein baked goods needed a safe and efficient way to load various protein powders into a blender located approximately 11 feet above floor level. Additionally, the process required screening of the powders during dumping to prevent any foreign material from entering the batch—ensuring high product quality and consistency.

Hapman Solution: To meet these challenges, Hapman provided a complete material handling system designed for safety, efficiency, and clean operation:

• Series 500 5” Helix Flexible Screw Conveyor

Engineered to convey various protein powders from a floor-level bag dump station to the elevated blender at a rate of approximately 250 lbs/min. The flexible design ensures consistent flow of the material without separation or degradation. The conveyor system is mounted on a portable base with a tilting feature that allows it to be lowered for easy cleaning and maintenance—ensuring minimal downtime and enhanced sanitation.

• Model #30 FL Bag Dump Station with Dust Collector and Screener

This station allows operators to safely dump ingredients at ground level while integrated screening captures and removes any foreign material. The built-in dust collection system maintains a clean work environment by minimizing airborne particles.

Why Hapman: The customer selected Hapman based on a successful previous installation at a different plant location in 2022. The proven performance, reliability, and adaptability of Hapman’s equipment made it the clear choice for this project. The ability to safely load ingredients from ground level, screen for contaminants, and reduce operator exposure were key decision factors.

Conclusion: By integrating Hapman’s flexible screw conveyor system with floor-level dumping, dust collection, and inline screening, the customer was able to enhance operational safety, maintain batch integrity, and support consistent production—all with equipment that is easy to clean and maintain. This tailored solution demonstrates Hapman’s ability to address the specialized needs of food manufacturers handling delicate bulk materials.

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Improving efficiency in batching and blending is simple in concept. All you need to do is produce the most possible product using the least possible resources. That’s easier said than done, but by identifying challenges and applying engineering know-how you’ll find that small steps can lead to great strides in your batching and blending operations.

Efficiency improvements can start small with a single improvement in your process or a design upgrade to a single piece of equipment. A single “win” can get you in the race, be it a way to speed a machine’s changeover, block a material flow obstruction, improve metering accuracy, or remove a bottleneck. Each success leads to another. No matter the scope of your efforts or applications involved, you’ll likely confront some or all these challenges in engineering a solution for you, your process, and your customers:

1.           Inefficient batching process

2.           Poor recipe control

3.           Loss of material

4.           Labor/experience shortage

These challenges are interrelated, and we will discuss them — and solutions to overcome them — below.

1. Inefficient batch processing

Batch processes in any industry share many common efficiency challenges. Inefficient batching can be both the cause and result of production bottlenecks, delays between process steps or machine hand-offs, and overall waste in all its forms.

On the other hand, equipment and process design that addresses the right problems can unlock new levels of process performance. For example, adding a lump breaker can eliminate agglomerations in small-volume metering, or a feeder upgrade can improve dosing accuracy by improving the flow of sluggish granules or powders. (Related reading: Turn Batching Challenges Into a Competitive Advantage.)

In other cases, efficiency can be optimized by rethinking how materials can be moved from Point A to Point B within the constraints of the physical realities of your facility. For example, not all buildings can accommodate mezzanine levels for filling or conveyors to transport materials long distances. In such cases, alternative approaches can provide an efficient solution, as Lawrence Foods, a manufacturer of premium bakery ingredients, learned.

The company needed to pre-weigh bulk bags of powdered sugar from incoming 2,200-pound bags and create two 1,000-pound bags for downstream processing. However, the facility lacked sufficient ceiling height to unload the bulk bag directly into a filler in a single, vertical common frame.

The solution took the form of an integrated system using side-by-side frames incorporating a bulk bag unloader, a 15-foot screw conveyor, and a bag filler to create the 1,000-pound bags of powdered sugar. Weight and process controls ensured accuracy and filling directly onto a pallet enabled easy fork truck removal and transport to production. As a result, the company gained an engineered solution to overcome challenges due to space constraints, bypassing the need to modify its facility. Additional features aid efficiency, safety, dust control, ergonomics, and flexibility for future changes. (Learn the details of Lawrence Foods’ installation by reading  Unload, Convey, Fill, Repeat.)

2. Poor recipe control

Recipe control picks up where batch management leaves off. A lack of comprehensive controls, from accurate measurement to connected digital controls, can lead to many sources of process inefficiency. These include errors caused by manual keying-in recipe parameters, lost time, production bottlenecks, reduced productivity, and increased costs. The solution to these and other weaknesses is digitalization, which enables the additional benefit of recipe management software tools for analyzing accuracy, quality, and other efficiency-related factors.

Many companies rely on manual data entry, which leads to quality deficiencies, product scrap and rework, inefficient labor, and downtime. This can result in losses of $1,000 or more for a 2,000-pound batch. We have seen companies with more than 50 recipes whose operators manually key-in parameters based on information from disparate sources such as clipboards and spreadsheets. In some cases, a vital piece of missing information caused delays, and the lack of efficient tracking documentation during and after processing compromised proper quality control and slowed efforts to improve processing.

Today, process control technology addresses such problems with long-established machine and process control technology. An operator panel connected to the programmable logic controller (PLC) running the equipment stores all recipes. These can be loaded for processing with little more effort than pressing a touchscreen of a menu selection (or even scanning a QR code for a recipe). Improvements can enhance process consistency, product quality, productivity, waste reduction, and more.

Operator interface software also provides alerts and tracks process data for additional uses. These include tracking and trending data for one or more pieces of equipment locally; or using a central workstation to track key performance indicators (KPIs) across a fuller set of operations. Process data can also be presented to multiple users in different roles for different reasons: plant initiatives, vendor remote maintenance services, corporate data analytics, compliance reporting, or any number of good, approved uses. (Click to read an overview of related Controls & Automation solutions.)

3. Loss of material

Material losses can occur anywhere in conveying, handling, and processing — from spills in manual or mechanical handling operations to dust from improperly sealed conveyors. In terms of equipment, bag filling is perhaps the most common source of costly material losses due to excessive overfilling, or product giveaway, to ensure compliance with weight requirements.

In one case, a company was experiencing losses with small, 320-ounce batches of a valuable material costing $1,200 per ounce. To ensure it met weight requirements, the company was overfilling and giving away profits, sometimes by more than two ounces per batch. Once the company identified the problem, the company upgraded to new, more accurate loss-in-weight feeders, precisely controlled overfilling to within 25 grams, and saved approximately $2,000 on each batch.

Loss-in-weight, or gravimetric, feeders are generally preferred for such quality-critical applications, however, volumetric feeders can be used for accurate filling at higher speeds. However, this choice is unlikely if your material’s bulk density varies such as when a hygroscopic material reacts to humidity and/or forms agglomerations. (Related reading: Volumetric vs. Gravimetric Feeder Operation).

Competitive realities typically lead plants to integrate multiple equipment assets with custom engineering and, increasingly, digital automation. One company used both techniques to more efficiently meter controlled amounts of four powdered ingredients. The project included several components including bulk bag unloaders, a dust collector to prevent a separate waste stream and lost product; pneumatic bag agitators to fluidize the material; and a lump breaker to tackle any agglomerations. From there, the powders were ready for loss-in-weight screw feeding

to a slurry tank for processing. The result was that the conditioned materials contributed to the optimal downstream mixing process performance. Process controls and user-friendly monitoring tools further eased the job and reduced labor requirements. (Click for related reading on Bulk Bag Unloading, Pneumatic Conveying, and Material Metering.)

4.Labor/experience shortages

Properly engineered mechanical and automation solutions provide additional benefits for productivity to reduce labor costs and overcome the difficulty of finding and training skilled labor.

Automation brings positive impacts in many ways to overcome labor and productivity challenges. It’s most visible to operators in the form of user-friendly interfaces that ease

tasks and save time. The benefits are also critical for operational continuity as experienced workers exit the workforce, taking their experience and knowledge with them. It also reduces companies’ requirements for up-front training and everyday labor requirements.

When discussing the company that used automation to improve recipe control (Challenge No.2 above), that operation used to require two operators: one to load the batch, and another to manage the recipe. After the automation upgrade, only one operator is needed for that processing station.

Digital automation together with mechanical design features both contribute to labor savings. Material handling equipment that is easy to operate alleviates environmental concerns and promotes health and safety in a processing facility in addition to solving labor challenges. Likewise, today’s equipment designs feature time-saving features that offer easy access for maintenance operations, quick clean-in-place with easy disassembly for cleaning, quick-release features, and more. In turn, digital automation makes it easier for one person to manage more parts of a process, which is essential for companies relying on fewer workers.

In the chemical industry, processors face the ongoing challenge of effectively mixing solids and liquids to blend slurries while minimizing labor (among other factors such as floor space, dusting, and energy usage). This traditionally entailed multiple workers and labor-intensive operations. Examples include workers climbing ladders and opening equipment doors with ingredients/materials in hand; controlling mixer agitators; and incurring risk in potentially caustic or hazardous environments. Today, solutions are available such as sealed conveyors

(e.g., pneumatic, tubular, helix) and automated bag-handling and processing equipment; valves on bag-handling equipment, and self-contained batching/blending equipment offer enhanced worker safety, labor savings, and high throughput. (Learn more by reading Pre-Mix Solutions and Slurries – Effectively, Economically, and Safely.)

Additional technologies offer greater cost-effectiveness and labor savings than ever, including labor-saving automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) and autonomous mobile robots (AMR) that shuttle materials across warehouses and production areas. (Learn more by reading: Using Material Handling Automation to Improve Efficiency.)

Efficiency: It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon

There’s no single solution for any given material handling, batching, or blending application. Significant efficiency improvements require varying degrees of customization to meet your material, processing, and business goals. Asking the right questions of your internal team and your external partners can take you closer and closer to your project’s finish line — and beyond, because the race toward greater efficiency and competitiveness is an ongoing journey.

When it comes to selecting a partner to provide equipment, systems, and engineering services, it’s most important that they have the breadth of expertise and deep knowledge of your needs, This, in turn, can go beyond solving problems to open new opportunities and benefits spanning design, reliability, serviceability, and much more.

About Hapman

We are a global manufacturer of standard and custom bulk material handling equipment and complete material handling systems, with locations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Our process has been proven across 12,000 applications across all major bulk material processing industries in every US state and 56 countries worldwide.

Whether your equipment needs are standard and straightforward or elaborate and controlled, Hapman’s team of applications experts will assist you with any level of support.

Our company culture is driven by new ideas, fresh thinking, and continuous improvement. That’s why Ideas that Move is more than a slogan. It’s an integral part of who we are. We seek to acquire and share new knowledge, build on our experience, collaborate with you and other industry experts, and push perceived process limitations — all while fully embracing disciplined engineering and quality material handling practices.

At Hapman, we are more than a material handling systems provider. We are your business partner. We are dedicated to achieving your highest level of trust and satisfaction and earning your confidence in our commitment and expertise.

Take the next step towards innovation and excellence. Contact our experts at (800) 427-6260 or sales@hapman.com for a personalized consultation.

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In the dynamic world of food processing and packaging, innovation is the key to maintaining product quality and operational efficiency. Hapman, a renowned leader in bulk material handling equipment, has once again raised the bar with its latest offering: the CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor. This solution, unveiled at PACK EXPO 2024 in Chicago, represents Hapman’s first major product launch since 2008 and showcases nearly eight decades of expertise in tubular drag conveying technology.

Gentle Handling for Delicate Products

The food industry demands solutions that can transport delicate products without compromising their integrity, and the CablePro is specifically designed to meet this challenge. It offers a gentle and efficient conveyance system for a wide range of food items, including cereals, grains, nuts, frozen foods, and pet food. The conveyor’s innovative design features FDA-compliant components, ensuring food safety with food-grade coatings and polished stainless-steel tubing.

Innovative Design Features

The CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor boasts several key features that set it apart in terms of durability, efficiency, and ease of maintenance. At its core, the system utilizes a pre-stretched, high-strength stainless steel cable with a food-grade coating, ensuring extended life and long-lasting performance even in demanding environments. This robust cable is complemented by proprietary self-lubricating UHMW disks, which significantly reduce friction and wear, contributing to the system’s overall efficiency and longevity.

Durability is further enhanced with the inclusion of stainless-steel sprockets, featuring polished edges that minimize cable fray and degradation. This attention to detail in the sprocket design helps to maintain the integrity of the cable over time, reducing maintenance needs and potential downtime.

Installation of the CablePro is streamlined through thoughtful engineering. The tubing comes pre-cut to the application length, flanged, and match-marked, facilitating faster and more straightforward assembly. This labor-saving approach not only reduces installation time but also minimizes the potential for errors during setup, ensuring that the system is ready to operate efficiently from the outset.

These innovative design features collectively contribute to a conveyor system that not only meets the stringent demands of the food industry but also offers a reliable, low-maintenance solution for manufacturers seeking to optimize their material handling processes.

Clean-In-Place Compatibility

One of the standout features of the CablePro is its Clean-In-Place (CIP) compatibility.  The sealed design with integral drains supports various cleaning options, including fluid rinse, foam cleaners, spray nozzles, sponges, wipers and scrapers, allowing for easier and faster cleaning. This feature is crucial for maintaining hygiene standards in food processing environments.

Meeting Industry Demands

Matt Richardson, Vice President at Hapman, emphasizes the significance of the CablePro: “We designed this conveyor to meet a specific market segment that demands gentle, efficient and reliable transport while meeting strict sanitation guidelines”. This statement underscores Hapman’s commitment to addressing the critical needs of the food processing industry.

Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

The CablePro isn’t just a standalone solution; it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with other Hapman products. This integration capability allows manufacturers to create a comprehensive material handling system that optimizes productivity while maintaining product quality. The conveyor can be easily incorporated into systems with Bulk Bag Unloaders, Posi Portion feeders for precise product delivery, and SolidQuid® liquid-solid mixing systems.

A Milestone in Food Processing Technology

The launch of the CablePro Tubular Drag Conveyor marks a significant milestone in food processing technology. By combining gentle handling, efficiency, and compliance with industry standards, Hapman continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation in material handling solutions. For food manufacturers looking to enhance their production processes, the CablePro offers a promising solution that addresses the critical needs of product integrity and operational efficiency.

Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Material Handling

As the industry continues to evolve, Hapman’s latest offering promises to play a crucial role in enhancing efficiency and productivity for manufacturers across various sectors. The CablePro is not just a new product; it’s a testament to Hapman’s 80 years of experience and dedication to developing innovative, customer-focused material handling solutions.

For more information about how the CablePro can revolutionize your food processing operations and to explore how Hapman can enhance your bulk material handling processes, click here or contact sales@hapman.com.

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The Helix® Flexible Screw Conveyor is designed to handle a wide variety of materials, from powders and granules to flakes, crystals, and pellets. Its versatility has made it a staple in industries ranging from food and chemical processing to wastewater and pharmaceuticals. Whether transporting materials for bulk processing, batching, or blending, the Helix® offers a practical solution that can be tailored to your operation’s specific needs. This adaptability is why the Helix® remains one of the most trusted options for material handling nearly half a century after its introduction.

Flexibility in Design

One of the Helix®’s standout features is its flexible design, which allows it to easily fit into various facility layouts, even in areas with limited space. The conveyor can transport materials horizontally up to 80 feet or achieve vertical discharge heights of up to 40 feet, providing a unique advantage over more rigid systems that may struggle with space constraints. This flexibility ensures that the Helix® can adapt to existing production lines without requiring significant modifications.

Available in sizes ranging from 2.5 inches to 8 inches in diameter, the Helix® offers a wide capacity range—between 15 and 1,800 cubic feet per hour. This scalability means businesses, whether small-batch operations or high-volume production facilities, can find a Helix® model that suits their needs. With its extensive capacity range, the conveyor is suitable for handling everything from lightweight powders to denser, heavier materials.

Every material presents unique handling challenges, and Hapman understands that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in material handling. The Helix® is equipped with multiple auger options that can be customized based on material characteristics. For example, sticky materials, fine powders, and heavy, abrasive substances all require different handling approaches, and the Helix® offers auger types specifically designed to optimize performance for each.

This attention to customization extends to other parts of the conveyor as well. The Helix® offers various hopper designs, allowing businesses to tailor their material feeding solution to their exact needs. Additionally, the option to add a center core is beneficial for operations handling dense or aerated materials, as it helps to mitigate common conveying challenges such as blockages or inconsistent flow.

These customizable features make the Helix® an adaptable and flexible option across industries including food processing, chemical, pharmaceutical, and wastewater. By offering a wide array of auger types and hopper configurations, Hapman ensures that customers can find the right setup for their specific materials and processes.

Designed with Efficiency in Mind

Operational efficiency is another core advantage of the Helix® Flexible Screw Conveyor. Maintenance is often a significant source of downtime in industrial operations, but the Helix® helps minimize that with its tool-free casing removal feature. This allows operators to quickly and easily access the system for maintenance or cleaning, reducing the time spent on upkeep and keeping production lines running smoothly.

The Helix® also prioritizes worker safety. With its Hi/Lo functionality, operators can safely control the conveyor from ground level, eliminating the need for ladders or lifts, and significantly reducing the risk of workplace accidents. Additionally, the portable base allows the conveyor to be easily moved between different processes, adding a level of operational flexibility that is particularly valuable in dynamic manufacturing environments.

For businesses that require precise material dosing, the Helix® offers advanced capabilities with its Loss-in-Weight Batching option. This feature integrates seamlessly with automated systems, providing programmable batch controls and built-in load cells to ensure accurate material dosing. Whether you’re handling delicate pharmaceutical ingredients or more robust materials like grains and powders in food processing, the precision provided by the Loss-in-Weight Batching system ensures that your operations remain efficient and reliable.

This precision makes the Helix® an ideal solution for industries such as pharmaceuticals, where contamination-free handling and exact dosing are critical. Stainless steel construction ensures compliance with sanitary requirements, while the ability to integrate with automated systems makes it a highly effective tool for precise material control in these settings.

A Commitment to Reliable Material Handling

Hapman’s Helix® Flexible Screw Conveyor remains a highly reliable, customizable, and efficient solution for material handling. By offering customizable options to meet the specific needs of various industries, Hapman continues to enhance productivity and streamline processes for its customers. Whether you’re transporting lightweight powders or heavy, dense materials, the Helix® provides a proven, time-tested solution that will keep your operations moving smoothly.

With quick-ship availability for select models, businesses can implement this proven solution quickly and effectively, minimizing lead times and avoiding unnecessary production delays.

For more information on how Hapman’s Helix® can enhance your material handling processes, visit Hapman’s Helix® product page.

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What is material handling automation?

Material handling refers to all the activities of a supply chain, from extracting and transporting raw materials to manufacturing products and storing finished goods before distributing them to wholesalers and end users. These activities require input and active participation from different areas of an organization.

Material handling automation applies the latest technology in transporting, processing and storing raw materials. The benefits of material handling automation include enhanced supply chain efficiency, lower operational costs and reduced material and inventory waste.

Types of material handling automation

Automated storage and retrieval systems

Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) are computer-controlled systems that handle storing, filing and retrieving materials and inventory. While the use of ASRSs was long restricted to large operations, many affordable technological alternatives exist for automating storage and retrieval in small organizations across different industries.

Shuttles are ASRSs that ferry loads between warehouses and manufacturing floors. Carousels can be installed on the floor to ensure continuous access to materials and equipment stored in horizontally or vertically rotating storage bins. 

Lift and loading machines also constitute ASRSs. Small companies can use mini-load ASRSs to stack loads under 1,000 pounds, while larger outfits may use unit-load ASRSs to neatly organize materials into storage shelves or racks up to hundreds of feet tall. 

ASRSs hasten the accurate identification, categorization and tracking of stored inventory. They allow real-time monitoring of stock and fast, on-demand retrieval. ASRSs also improve storage efficiency by maximizing the use of vertical space in a warehouse, removing clutter from floor space.

Organizations that utilize automated storage and retrieval system experience improved employee safety since people don’t have to physically retrieve bulk items from high shelves or ferry heavy loads.

Conveyor systems

Conveyor systems move raw materials across the manufacturing floor and transport finished goods to storage or distribution centers. They rely on electricity, hydraulics or gravity to transport materials horizontally, vertically or at an incline. These material handling automation systems are usually integrated into a facility’s structure to clear up floor space for other operations.

Conveyors that use gravity are set up at an angle to move materials down toward a discharge point. Some gravity conveyors require human intervention to kick-start load movement, while others use ball bearings or wheels fixed in a frame to move materials.

Powered conveyors use pneumatics or electric motors to pull belts and chains carrying loads. These conveyors are popular since they can operate without human involvement. Moreover, the speed of powered conveyors can be adjusted according to the rate of manufacturing operations.

Live roller conveyors are common in warehousing for moving packaged loads. They can comprise a belt passed underneath a series of cylindrical rollers or chain-driven sprockets attached to rollers. While live roller conveyors may be gravity-powered, they can also use electricity to propel boxes and pallets down the line.

Vertical reciprocating conveyors are another power conveyor system used to shift packages between conveyor belts and transfer materials across different floor levels.

Conveyor systems enhance the efficiency of manufacturing processes since they move products at a set speed. They’re also safer than human-operated machinery, lowering the rate of operator injury and collision accidents.

Autonomous Mobile Robots

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are battery-powered self-driving carriers that move loads across manufacturing and storage floors. Unlike their predecessors (automated guided vehicles), which require a predefined path, AMRs use sensors, artificial intelligence and a digital layout of the facility to map their path and interpret their surroundings.

AMRs can safely transport raw materials, products still on the assembly line and finished goods. They’re also used to store and retrieve loads from warehouses and distribution zones.

While AMRs don’t require constant human guidance, routine supervision ensures the vehicles keep operating. Companies can use computer software to monitor AMRs, ascertaining their real-time location and progress toward their destinations.

Using automated guided vehicles minimizes transport time for materials and products across floors. It’s easy to keep track of materials moved by AMRs, reducing the risk of loss or theft. AMRs have low initial and operational costs that even new companies can afford.

Integrating material handling automation systems

Fully automating material handling requires meticulous planning and careful integration so operations can continue running with little to no downtime.

The first step to successfully integrating material handling automation systems is determining the actual needs of the facility. A thorough operational audit can help facility managers decide where to start the automation process.

Automating material handling systems shouldn’t hurt the business’ bottom line. Facility managers should shop around and compare quotes from different material handling manufacturers to ensure they get the best deal before acquiring and implementing new technology.

Automated systems are rarely fully autonomous, so organizations must evaluate the labor necessary for supervising the new systems. The cost of training employees on how to use material handling automation equipment should be considered, and new policies should be enacted to guide safe automated operations.

Finally, creating and sticking to a maintenance schedule will ensure potential breakdowns are caught and fixed before they interrupt operations.

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Process inefficiencies

Some plants lose efficiency because of poor bulk material handling. One issue is material spillage, which manufacturing professionals should take seriously. Spillage is a potential cause of injury, material loss and downtime.

Poor flow or a complete cessation of flow can cause inefficiencies as well. This crops up in several situations, including when:

• Materials form an arch by an outlet, obstructing it
• Too much material moves through an outlet at once, creating downstream issues
• Materials gather on the sides of an outlet and stagnate, which is known as “ratholing”

Fortunately, it’s possible to make systems more efficient by correcting the above problems. That may involve a reassessment and calibration of a given system’s design, taking into account its temperature, the materials it moves and other factors.

Degradation

Degradation is one of the most prominent challenges in bulk material handling because the process involves so many objects coming into contact. Degradation may change traits such as the size and consistency of the material, leading to later issues with product quality or plant operations. The answer to reducing degradation often lies in selecting better equipment, as perfectly fitting components give greater control over materials. 

Material segregation

When it comes to challenges in bulk material handling, no discussion would be complete without touching on segregation. This problem occurs when particles with different traits, such as size and shape, separate from each other. If this goes on unchecked, significant amounts of material may stay behind, slowing down operations and reducing the resulting products’ quality and consistency. 

However, it becomes easier to prevent material segregation by installing properly fitting components, including bags and hoppers. Other helpful steps include optimizing conveyors’ configurations and carefully controlling how much material moves through a feeder at once.

Cleaning challenges

While cleaning needs vary from factory to factory, cleanliness is always important for bulk material handling. Dirty machinery contaminates materials, making them unusable and unsafe.

Keeping machinery clean is so important in manufacturing that government regulations dictate the standards factories must meet. That means factory managers and process overseers need an adequate plan for cleaning their conveyance systems. The good news is that there are convenient solutions like clean-in-place systems available.

Dust control challenges

While dust particles are small, failing to install dust-control measures can create huge challenges in bulk material handling. Over time, materials leaving the supply line as dust can cause costs to creep up, while dust can also present maintenance problems if it accumulates in unwanted places. In extreme situations, dust may even make fires or explosions more likely.

Fortunately, there are many potential dust control and containment measures for manufacturers to explore. Examples include sealed conveyor designs and components dedicated to dust collection.

Machine maintenance issues

The machines that handle bulk materials are often capable of controlling impressive amounts of volume and weight — but no machine can run forever without maintenance. Periodic tune-ups are necessary to avoid unplanned downtime as well as dangerous, operation-disrupting events like material pile-ups.

Given how much money maintenance saves through downtime prevention, it’s an investment with a huge return. Factory managers can get ahead of the curve with a maintenance plan. By scheduling preplanned inspections and performing routine repairs, maintenance providers reduce service disruptions and extend equipment’s useful life.

Partnering up for better processes

Plant managers and process engineers who proactively tackle the challenges in bulk material handling will be rewarded with safer, more profitable operations. And partnering with a company like Hapman means manufacturing professionals don’t have to solve problems alone.

From maintenance plans to custom equipment, Hapman offers efficiency- and safety-boosting solutions to companies around the world and in an array of industries. To speak to a local Hapman representative, get in touch today.

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