A truly great invention often outlives its original intention and goes on to be adapted to fit new tasks over many years. The Archimedes Screw is one such piece of engineering which, over the past couple of millennia, has popped up in all manner of places, not least of all as part of Guttridge۪s range of bulk materials handling systems.

Named after the Syracusian engineer and mathematician Archimedes, this central component of screw conveyers was originally employed in the ancient world for transporting water for agricultural irrigation. Its ability to move materials up hill combines efficiency with elegance and is beguiling to experiment with - witness the fascination of children playing with an Archimedes screw in a pool or sandpit. A good lesson in how engineering can engage interest from the very earliest age.

Today the screw has a wide range of uses for conveying all types of materials, from sea water for land reclamation through to mineral mining. In fact the Archimedes screw has the unique distinction of being essential for both sewage processing and chocolate fountains, two applications that would have undoubtedly proven popular in Hellenic society!

More regularly, however, screw conveyors, feeders and dischargers are valued for transporting a wide range of industrial powders and granular materials. Especially useful where low noise and ease of maintenance are critical, they are a popular choice for hygienic applications, in, for example, the food or pharmaceuticals industry. Guttridge provides screw conveyors to suit the throughput and operating duty requirements of applications ranging from cement and aggregates to grain and animal feed - custom built to meet exact customer requirements.

The Archimedes screw has been a fixture of engineering for the past 2000 years and although we۪ve made a fair few adjustments to ensure ease of use and compatibility with the widest range of materials the core technology has stood the test of time remarkably well. Truly, a tried and tested product.