What is the difference between a spiral elevator and a belt conveyor?

A spiral elevator uses controlled vibration, not a belt, to move bulk materials vertically in a compact helical path. This means no belts to replace, gentler product handling, and the ability to simultaneously cool, dry, or screen as you elevate. Belt conveyors require a much longer horizontal footprint for the same vertical height change.

Do you supply food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade vibratory equipment?

Yes. All food and pharma systems are manufactured from 304 or 316 stainless steel to AISI standards, with hygienic design (no crevices, full wash-down capability, IP65+ rated where required). We can supply documentation packs including material certifications, weld inspection records, and surface finish reports.

What is the typical lead time for a custom spiral elevator?

Lead times are typically 6–12 weeks from design sign-off, depending on the complexity of the system and material specification. We always provide a firm delivery date at the point of order. Rush requirements can sometimes be accommodated, please contact us to discuss.

Can a vibratory spiral elevator cool products as it elevates them?

Yes, this is one of the key advantages of spiral elevator technology. The open helical trough design allows ambient air (or forced air from fans) to contact the product continuously as it travels up the spiral. This makes spiral elevators ideal for cooling fried snacks, extruded products, or any heat-treated material before packaging.

Do you offer spare parts and after-sales maintenance support?

Yes. We stock vibrator motors (OLI, Vibtec, FRIEDRICH), springs, rubber mounts, clamps, and bearings for all equipment we supply. We also provide site visits for commissioning, troubleshooting, and preventive maintenance. Contact us on 0800 001 6520 for parts availability.

What throughput capacities can you achieve?

Our vibratory systems are designed to handle anything from a few kilograms per hour (precision dosing feeders) up to 100+ tonnes per hour (heavy-duty aggregate screens and grizzly screens). Throughput depends on product bulk density, particle size, and conveying distance, we'll calculate this as part of your free consultation.

What is a grizzly screen, and what problem does it solve?

Grizzly screens pre screen bulk material by separating oversized pieces from fines using heavy duty vibration and robust bar spacing, helping protect downstream processing and maintain high capacity flow. Expanded answer: Spiral Elevators Ltd describes grizzly screens for pre screening oversize from fines, with customisable bar spacing and vibration settings.

What is a spiral elevator in food processing?

A spiral elevator is a vertical vibratory conveying system that moves product upward along an open, helical trough using controlled vibration from electric motors. In food processing, it elevates product between production stages while handling it gently, and in cooling applications, it reduces product temperature simultaneously through exposure to ambient or forced air during transit.

How does a spiral elevator cool fried snacks?

As the product travels upward along the open spiral trough, ambient air circulates freely around it. The extended travel distance within a compact vertical footprint provides dwell time for heat to dissipate. Where faster or more controlled cooling is needed, fans or air blowers can be integrated into the open-trough structure and directed precisely at the product path. Effectiveness depends on ambient room temperature, airflow volume, dwell time, and incoming product temperature, so the right configuration is matched to your specific product and line conditions.

Can a spiral elevator replace a standalone cooling conveyor and cooling tunnel?

In most UK fried snack applications, yes. A spiral cooling elevator combines the elevation function of a standard conveyor with the cooling function of a separate tunnel in a single machine, reducing floor space, machine count, and product transfer points in one change. This is particularly practical for manufacturers operating within existing UK buildings where floor space is at a premium.

Is a spiral elevator suitable for fragile fried snacks?

Yes. The vibratory motion is specifically tuned to the product being handled. For fragile fried snacks such as crisps, extruded products, or fried crackers, the vibration is set gently enough to avoid breakage while still providing the continuous movement needed for effective air exposure and even cooling.

How much floor space does a spiral cooling conveyor save compared to a cooling tunnel?

A cooling tunnel providing adequate dwell time for a high-throughput snack line can run to ten metres or more in length. A spiral elevator delivering equivalent dwell time typically fits into a vertical column of around 1.5 to 2 metres in diameter. Given that UK industrial property costs, at an average of £11 per square foot per year for large warehouses according to Colliers 2024, are the highest in Europe, the space saving represents a genuine commercial gain, not just an operational convenience.

Can the airflow in a spiral elevator be adjusted?

Yes. Where integrated fans or air blowers are specified, their positioning and airflow rate can be configured at the design stage and adjusted as operational requirements change. The open-trough design allows airflow to be directed precisely along the product path without the engineering complexity of building a sealed cooling environment.

What fried snack products work best with spiral elevator cooling?

Potato crisps, extruded snacks, pellet snacks, fried nuts and seeds, seasoned snack mixes, and fried crackers and flatbreads are all well-suited to spiral cooling. Products requiring fast refrigerated cooling, such as cooked meats, are better served by engineered cooling systems. For dry-fried snacks requiring ambient-to-room-temperature stabilisation before packaging, the spiral elevator is typically the most cost-effective and space-efficient solution.

Are spiral elevators easy to clean in a UK food production environment?

Food-grade spiral elevators are designed for straightforward wash-down cleaning in compliance with UK food production hygiene requirements. The open trough provides full access to all product-contact surfaces without disassembly, making them faster to clean and easier to inspect than enclosed cooling tunnels, an advantage that is directly relevant to facilities operating under BRC Global Standards or equivalent retailer audit frameworks.

What materials are used in food-grade spiral elevators?

Food-grade systems are manufactured from 304 or 316 stainless steel, with smooth surface finishes, no unnecessary crevices, and drive mechanisms sealed away from the product contact area. The choice of steel grade depends on the cleaning chemicals used on your line and the characteristics of the product being handled.

Does a spiral elevator improve packaging quality for seasoned snacks?

Yes. The continuous vibratory motion of the spiral trough keeps the product moving and turning throughout the cooling journey, exposing all surfaces to airflow and producing more uniform cooling across the batch. Consistent exit temperature means seasoning adheres more evenly and the product reaches the packaging stage in a more stable condition, which matters for shelf life and for quality consistency across production runs.

An industrial hopper discharge system installed in a modern production facility.

UK Designed & Manufactured

Bespoke Engineering

10+ Years Experience

Bespoke Spiral Elevator & Vibratory Conveying Systems, UK Designed & Built

Custom-engineered spiral elevators, vibrating feeders, screens & compaction tables, for food, pharmaceutical & industrial manufacturers across the UK.

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Vibrating Equipment

A large industrial spiral elevator installed in a modern processing facility.

A large industrial vibrating spiral elevator designed to perform multiple processing functions within a single machine.

Industrial vibratory equipment installed in a food processing facility, including a vibratory spiral elevator, vibrating feeder, and vibrating screen. The machines are constructed from hygienic stainless steel suitable for food-grade applications.

Engineering Bespoke Vibratory Systems Since 2015

Spiral Elevators Ltd designs and manufactures bespoke vibratory conveying systems for manufacturers who need reliability, compact footprints, and process-specific performance.

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Vibratory Handling Equipment, Designed to Spec

n industrial recirculation spiral elevator installed in a production facility.

Space-saving vertical transport

Customizable Designs

Minimal Maintenance

Gentle Handling

Benefits of Bulk Handling

Space-Saving Vertical Conveying

Spiral Elevator Ltd designs and manufactures bespoke vibratory conveying systems for manufacturers who need reliability, compact footprints, and process-specific performance.

Minimal Maintenance Design

Fewer moving parts than belt systems. Springs and vibrator motors are the only wear items, replaceable in under an hour.

Gentle Product Handling

Vibration is controlled and tuned to your product, fragile food items, tablets, and granules arrive intact, without breakage.

Customisable to Any Spec

Every dimension, material grade (304/316 SS, mild steel), and process function is engineered to your exact requirements.

Conveying + Processing in One

Simultaneously elevate, cool, dry, screen or coat your product on the same spiral, eliminating additional machines.

UK Designed, UK Built

All systems are engineered and manufactured in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, with short lead times, site visits, and UK-based after-sales support.

Why Manufacturers Choose Spiral Elevator Ltd

Built to perform in demanding environments - not a standard catalogue item.

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Tell us your industry and product, we'll recommend the right system for your application.

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Recycling & Waste

Sorting dry or cooled recyclables for reuse

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Metals & Foundry

Cooling castings, removing fines from sand, separating scrap

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Chemicals & Plastics

Cooling resins, pellets, and powder blends before packaging

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Pharmaceutical

Screening and cooling powders, granules, and tablet components

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Food & Beverage

Cooling roasted coffee beans, separating flour, sugar, grains, spices

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Start here and Choose Your Industry

We engineer vibratory conveying systems for the following sectors - click to see relevant products.

Grizzly screens are heavy‑duty vibratory screens used primarily in industries such as mining, quarrying, aggregate production, recycling and timber. They consist of a series of rugged bars or rails spaced apart so that fine material can drop through while large rocks or debris are scalped off the top. By removing oversize material early in the process they protect crushers and conveyors from damage, improve downstream efficiency and reduce wear. Their robust construction allows them to withstand high impact loads and handle rough, abrasive materials with minimal maintenance.

A grizzly screen is a heavy‑duty vibrating screen with robust bars that separate oversized rocks, lumps or contaminants from bulk material before it enters the main process, and it is used for pre‑screening in recycling, mining, quarrying, aggregates or bulk handling lines to remove debris and protect downstream crushers, conveyors or processing equipment, and by removing oversized pieces it reduces wear on other machines and improves the efficiency of screening and conveying lines, and its open bar design handles heavy, rugged materials and allows fines to pass through while coarse objects remain on top for removal, and

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a conveying challenge?
Let's solve it.

Tell us your product, throughput, and available footprint, we'll engineer a solution around it. Free consultation, no obligation.

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Bespoke Spiral Elevator & Vibratory Conveying Systems, UK Designed & Built

Vibrating Equipment

Engineering Bespoke Vibratory Systems Since 2015

Vibratory Handling Equipment, Designed to Spec

Spiral Elevators

Vibrating Feeders

Vibrating Screens & Vibrating Sieves

Vibrating Compaction Tables

Vibrating Tube Feeders

Vibrator Motors

Vibratory Hopper Discharges

Magnetic Dosing Feeders

Grizzly Screens

Spares

Space-saving vertical transport

Benefits of Bulk Handling

Space-Saving Vertical Conveying

Minimal Maintenance Design

Gentle Product Handling

Customisable to Any Spec

Conveying + Processing in One

UK Designed, UK Built

Why Manufacturers Choose Spiral Elevator Ltd

Find Your Solution

Recycling & Waste

Metals & Foundry

Chemicals & Plastics

Pharmaceutical

Food & Beverage

Start here and Choose Your Industry

What is the difference between a spiral elevator and a belt conveyor?

Do you supply food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade vibratory equipment?

What is the typical lead time for a custom spiral elevator?

Can a vibratory spiral elevator cool products as it elevates them?

Do you offer spare parts and after-sales maintenance support?

What throughput capacities can you achieve?

What is a grizzly screen, and what problem does it solve?

Which industries use grizzly screens, and how do they improve material handling?

What is a grizzly screen used for?

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a conveying challenge? Let's solve it.

Have a conveying challenge?
Let's solve it.