Galvanised steel
Galvanised steel with plated fasteners, for general warehouse and distribution duty.
01Engineered solution
Spiral chutes
Getting packages down from a mezzanine does not always need a powered conveyor. A spiral chute lowers light product by gravity, and a stair-step floor keeps it moving instead of letting it wedge on the way round.
Stair-step floor
02Principle
Self-clearing, so it does not jam.
A spiral chute lowers products gently and economically from overhead conveyors, mezzanines or platforms. There is no drive, no belt and no power, so the running cost is nil and there is very little to maintain.
The problem with a plain gravity spiral is that product stalls on the curve and the next item lands on it. A stair-step floor design keeps product moving even when it has accumulated, which is what makes the chute self-clearing.
Mixed product at the same time
The chute handles different products simultaneously rather than needing a sorted, single-format flow, which matters when it is fed from a mixed line above.
03General specifications
The sizes it is built in.
Chute geometry is set by width, and the height it has to drop decides the spiral angle.
- Chute widths
- 8, 12, 18 and 24 in
- Wall heights
- 4–12 in, by chute width
- Inside radius
- 5, 10 or 20 in, by chute width
- Maximum infeed height
- 144 in
- Minimum discharge height
- 18 in
- Straight chute lengths
- 0–24 in, infeed and outfeed
- Spiral angle
- 90° to 450°, in 90° increments
- Angle of decline
- 16° to 20°
- Product length
- From 3 in
- Product weight
- 1 oz to 50 lb
- Floor direction
- Clockwise or counter-clockwise
- Delivery
- Ships assembled
The chute must be lagged to the floor.
A spiral chute is anchored, not free-standing. Allow for floor fixing when planning the
position, and note the minimum discharge height of 18 in when working out what sits
underneath the exit.
04Construction
Two material options.
Bolt-together construction throughout, so the chute ships assembled and goes in quickly.
Stainless steel
300 Series stainless with a #4 polish and stainless fasteners, where the environment or the cleaning regime requires it.
Liners
UHMW bottom liner and wall liner options are available where product needs a lower-friction or more forgiving surface.
Stands and chutes
Tubular steel or stainless steel stand options, with custom infeed and exit chutes to suit what feeds the spiral and what receives it.
05What it handles
Light packages, mixed formats.
A spiral chute suits lightweight packages rather than heavy or rigid unit loads.
Corrugated boxes
The common case: cases coming off a mezzanine or an overhead run.
Cardboard
Lighter cartons and card packaging that would be damaged by a hard drop.
Pouches
Flexible pouches that will not travel reliably on a steep powered incline.
Flexible packaging
Bagged and filmed product where shape varies between items.
Mixed flow
Several product types descending at once, without sorting them first.
Accumulated product
Product that has backed up in the chute still clears, because of the stair-step floor.
06Gallery
Chute arrangements.
Geometry, discharge and a 450° spiral.
07Frequently asked questions
Spiral chutes.
Limits, materials and what the installation needs.
How far down can it bring product?
Maximum infeed height is 144 in and minimum discharge height is 18 in. The spiral angle needed follows from that drop, in 90° increments from 90° up to 450°.
What product weight will it take?
Between 1 oz and 50 lb, with product lengths from 3 in. It is designed for lightweight packages rather than heavy unit loads.
Will product jam on the curve?
The stair-step floor design is there specifically to prevent that. Product keeps moving even when it has accumulated in the chute, which is why it is described as self-clearing.
Does it need power?
No. It is a gravity chute, so there is no drive, no belt and nothing to run.
How is it installed?
It ships assembled and is bolt-together construction, so installation is fast. The chute must be lagged to the floor.
08Related solutions
Often specified alongside.
A chute is one of several ways to change level.
Tell us the drop and the package.
Give us the infeed height, the discharge height and what is coming down, and Roarer can specify the chute width, radius and spiral angle.
Discuss your application