Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System
Space-saving vertical movement for cartons, totes, and packages between levels.
The Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System from GlobalRoll is engineered to move product up or down between elevations using a compact footprint. Whether you’re connecting floors, mezzanines, or differing line heights, our spiral and vertical conveyors provide controlled, continuous movement without consuming valuable floor space or relying on manual lifts.
Applications & Use Cases
Spiral and vertical conveyors are ideal wherever you need smooth elevation changes in tight spaces.
- Moving cartons and totes between ground level and mezzanine pick modules
- Elevating product from production floors to overhead trunk conveyors
- Lowering finished goods from upper-level operations to shipping lanes
- Connecting multi-level sortation, packing, or consolidation areas
- Replacing manual lifts, pallet jacks on ramps, or long incline conveyors
- Creating vertical buffers where horizontal space is limited
System Overview
GlobalRoll’s Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System uses a continuous conveying surface—typically roller-based or belt-based modules—arranged in a spiral or vertical lift configuration. Product travels smoothly between elevations while maintaining orientation, spacing, and flow, allowing you to connect processes at different heights without long incline runs or excessive structural steel.
Each spiral or vertical conveyor family is defined as a product template that includes standardized curves, support structures, drive packages, and guard arrangements. We configure these templates based on your height difference, product dimensions, throughput requirement, and available footprint, ensuring a reliable, repeatable design that fits your building and process.
Key Features & Benefits
Features
- Compact spiral and vertical conveyor designs to minimize floor space usage
- Configurable infeed and discharge heights to match upstream/downstream equipment
- Engineered curves, frames, and supports sized for your product and load
- Continuous conveying surface for gentle handling and consistent orientation
- Flexible integration into existing conveyor lines, mezzanines, and overhead structures
- Guarding and safety features designed around vertical movement requirements
- Template-based design with predefined structural and mechanical configurations
Benefits
- Space efficiency: Achieves elevation change using a small footprint compared to long incline conveyors or ramps.
- Improved flow: Maintains continuous product movement between levels without manual transfer steps.
- Safety: Reduces reliance on forklifts, pallet jacks, or manual lifting for multi-level operations.
- Flexibility: Configurable heights and entry/exit arrangements support evolving layouts.
- Predictable performance: Standardized modules and templates deliver consistent operation and easier commissioning.
- Easier planning: Clear, template-based designs simplify structural coordination and installation planning.
Configuration Options
Each Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System is configured from standardized GlobalRoll modules to meet your elevation, load, and footprint requirements.
Mechanical & Dimensional Options
- Elevation Change: Configured for specific infeed and discharge heights (from modest elevation changes to multi-level transfers)
- Footprint: Spiral diameter or vertical tower footprint sized to fit within your available space
- Conveyor Width: Effective width configured to your carton or tote dimensions
- Product Types: Cartons, totes, trays, or similar handled items; special configurations available on request
- Frame & Support Structure: Engineered supports and attachment options for floor-mounted, mezzanine-mounted, or structure-supported installations
- Infeed/Discharge Orientation: Configurable entry and exit directions (e.g., 90°, 180° rotations around the spiral)
Drive, Control & Zone Options
- Drive Packages: Standardized motor and gearbox assemblies sized for elevation change, load, and speed
- Speed Control: Fixed or variable-speed options to match upstream and downstream conveyor rates
- Accumulation Behavior: Configurable to allow minimal product spacing or controlled gaps as needed
- Sensors: Photo-eyes and presence sensors at infeed, discharge, and key points for flow control and jam detection
- Control Integration: PLC-ready with I/O and network options to integrate with your overall conveyor controls
Available Accessories
- Side guards and containment to keep product secure on vertical paths
- Infeed guides and alignment sections
- Discharge transitions to downstream conveyor types (roller, belt, accumulation, etc.)
- Access platforms and ladders for maintenance where required
- Safety guarding and signage around moving vertical elements
Technical Highlights
Exact specifications will be engineered for your project, but Spiral & Vertical Conveyor Systems typically include:
- Elevation Range: Configured for required height difference between levels or equipment
- Load Capacity: Sized based on maximum product weight and conveyable density on the spiral or lift
- Line Speed: Set to match throughput requirements, with options for variable-speed adjustment
- Operating Environment: Ideal for typical indoor warehouse, distribution, and production environments
- Power: Industrial power options matched to drive package and control requirements
- Materials: Heavy-duty structural steel, conveyor components, and guard materials appropriate for continuous-duty vertical conveying
Typical Layouts & Use Cases
A typical Spiral & Vertical Conveyor layout connects floor-level conveyor runs to upper-level mezzanine systems or overhead trunk lines. Product is fed into the spiral or vertical lift at one elevation, transported smoothly to the destination height, and discharged onto a horizontal conveyor for further processing. The system’s compact footprint helps you maintain aisles, access paths, and usable floor space around key operations.
Example Use Case
A fulfillment center installed a mezzanine-based pick module above its main shipping floor. GlobalRoll configured a Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System to move completed cartons from the upper-level pack area down to the ground-level sortation and shipping lanes. The spiral replaced long incline conveyors and manual cart transfers, improved space utilization, and provided a consistent, controlled flow of cartons to shipping operations.
Quality, Traceability & Maintenance
Spiral & Vertical Conveyor Systems are built using GlobalRoll’s engineering-controlled templates for structural elements, conveying modules, and drive packages. Each system is documented with defined BOMs, routings, and QA checks, ensuring that the installed equipment matches the engineered design and meets specified performance criteria.
Critical components—such as drive assemblies, bearings, rollers, belts, and structural supports—are selected from standardized part families and can be tracked through manufacturing and QA. This supports long-term maintenance planning, spare parts management, and system audits.
Maintenance access is considered early in the design—whether through dedicated access platforms, safe reach points, or removable guards. Standardized components and clear documentation help maintenance teams perform inspections, lubrication, and replacements efficiently, minimizing downtime and service complexity for vertical conveying equipment.
Ready to Configure Your Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System?
If you need to move product between levels without sacrificing floor space or relying on manual workarounds, a spiral or vertical conveyor may be the answer. GlobalRoll will work with your team to define elevation changes, product sizes, throughput, and layout constraints, then configure a Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System using proven modules.
Downloads & Resources
These documents can support internal reviews, approvals, and detailed planning.
- Spiral & Vertical Conveyor System Overview (PDF)
- Spiral & Vertical Conveyor Technical Datasheet (PDF)
- Multi-Level Conveyor Layout Planning Checklist (PDF)
- Maintenance & Inspection Quick Guide (PDF)