Screw conveyors are used to convey bulk material from almost any position (vertical, horizontal, or at an incline) and are one of the most reliable methods of conveyance. The screw conveyor is composed of a pipe with a welded steel strip that is formed into a continuous helix.

Screw conveyors in modern industry are often used horizontally or at a slight incline as an efficient way to move semi-solid materials, including food waste, wood chips, aggregates, cereal grains, animal feed, boiler ash, meat and bone meal, municipal solid waste, and many others.