Weekly Highlight: Spiral Conveyors
2-3 Minute Read ⏱ Categories: Conveyor, System Design
Space or Safety? Why Not Both?
Walk the floor of any growing facility, and you’ll eventually hit the same obstacle: you need to move product to another level, but you don’t have the space to spare.
Logistics teams are usually left with two choices. Either you eat up a massive stretch of warehouse for a traditional incline conveyor, or you continue supporting manual and labor-intensive methods. This puts warehouse staff in an unfair predicament. You shouldn’t have to pick between your floor plan and your physical safety.
The MDR Spiral Conveyor allows you to use both your space and time wisely. In this blog, we’ll cover how this solution masters speed and efficiency. To give you the full perspective of this equipment’s potential, we’ll discuss its intended use, exclusive features, and how exactly it functions. Finally, we’ll show you how Russell Conveyor can help with any installation and custom conveyor needs to ease your ROI burdens.
Introduction to Spiral Conveyors
The first question that may enter your mind is “What is a spiral solution?” This machine is simple: one giant spiral that transports material vertically. Whether it’s an oddly shaped package or fragile glass, this smooth ride keeps your product moving and safe. It’s perfect for transferring packages and components to different storage units or even different floors. The other thing to mention is the mechanics of the unit itself.
Spirals don’t stop. Products enter and exit the spiral continuously, matching the natural pace of your line. If you’re running high-volume e-commerce, packaging, or sortation, you need that uninterrupted flow. It prevents the bottlenecks that happen when products must wait their turn to go up or down a level. This is fundamentally different from the Incline conveyor, as they demand a long, horizontal runway just to maintain a safe climbing angle. If the incline is too steep, products slide and potentially break.
A spiral conveyor takes the same track length and coils it vertically. You gain the elevation you need within a tight, circular workspace. Reclaiming that square footage future-proofs your facility. It gives you the space back for what makes you money.
The Power of MDR
One of the many other benefits of MDR conveyors is the energy-saving technology implemented in the rollers. Our MDR spirals use zone activation. The localized rollers only activate when they physically detect a product in that specific zone. If there’s a gap in the line, the system isn’t drawing heavy power. In this case, you’re only paying electricity to move the actual product—not to run an empty belt. Across a busy operating year, that on-demand energy model results in serious savings.
Lift chains, heavy belts, and tensioning devices sometimes need constant monitoring to reduce costs. By taking away that mechanical complexity, MDR spirals cut down the wear and tear that causes mid-shift breakdowns. Fewer moving parts mean less risk for your maintenance team. As a bonus, removing all the grinding metal and chain tension creates a noticeably quieter work environment for your operators.
How Can Russell Conveyor Help?
Whether you need a pre-assembled solution or a custom one to directly address your logistics needs, Russell Conveyor is here to help. As a leading manufacturer of custom industrial equipment, our 20+ years of experience can help fix your warehouse issues. As a bonus, we also work one-on-one with you to help make this machine last for the next 20 years. Everything from the design, setup, and the final installation will be carefully coordinated with our expert engineers. You don’t have to let spatial issues keep you cramped; get in touch with our team today!
For a free quote, call (336) 526-3014 or email us at sales@russellconveyor.com today!
Want to learn more about our featured solutions? Take a look at our dedicated conveyor systems page!
Do you know the importance of installations? Read our blog on the good, the bad, and the ugly installations to see how much they really matter.
FAQs about Spiral Conveyors
Do you have any questions after reading this blog? Here, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we receive.
With Russell Conveyor working with modular designs, it should fit into your current operation very easily. And if you have any more questions about integration, feel free to call us!
No. The rollers themselves are able to hang onto the products through a high-friction grip on the bottom.
This is best used as a tool for a company that is limited in space but requires multi-level distribution.