Disc conveying
Flexible, gentle conveying for complex factory layouts
Disc conveyors - also called tubular chain or drag conveyors - move whole beans and ground coffee through enclosed tubes using food-grade discs attached to a moving chain or cable. As the chain travels through the tube, the discs gently drag coffee along the route, allowing product to move horizontally, vertically or through curves within a compact footprint. Disc conveyors are ideal when routing must navigate complex layouts, when multiple intake or discharge points are required or when conveying needs to evolve with production growth. From roasting and grinding to silo storage and packaging, tubular chain conveyors provide clean and flexible conveying across modern coffee production facilities.
When disc conveyors are the right choice
Disc conveying typically excels when:
- Complex routing with multiple bends is required, accommodating 45°, 60° and 90° direction changes within constrained factory layouts.
- Multiple intake and discharge points are needed within the same conveying loop, allowing flexible routing across several machines or silos.
- Both beans and ground coffee must be conveyed using one system throughout the roastery. Bean breakage remains very low - nearly comparable to bucket elevators - making the system suitable even for roasted coffee. Visibility of coffee moving through the system also makes it attractive in open or visitor-facing roasteries.
They become less optimal when extremely high vertical lifts are required or when layouts must change frequently, where pneumatic systems offer more routing freedom. Energy efficiency remains significantly better than pneumatic conveying and slightly below bucket elevators.
| Criterion (★ = better performance) | Disc conveyor |
|---|---|
| Vertical conveying | |
| Routing flexibility | |
| Bean protection | |
| Dust control | |
| Energy efficiency | |
| Noise level | |
| Maintenance simplicity | |
| Operating cost |
Key benefits
Flexible routing
Product can move horizontally, vertically or around bends of 45° or 60°, allowing conveying to navigate existing machinery and building constraints.
Gentle bean handling
Low conveying speeds minimize mechanical stress, keeping bean breakage rates comparable to bucket conveying.
Clean & fully enclosed operation
Enclosed tubing prevents contamination while maintaining clean production environments with minimal dust dispersion.
Conveying ground coffee
Disc conveyors can also transport ground coffee. Intake and discharge stations use compressed air cleaning to keep discs free of residue between transfers.
Simple addition of intake & discharge points
New machines or silos can be integrated into the loop as production grows, although routing remains less flexible than pneumatic systems.
01 Product architecture
A 180° drive unit is installed at the head of the conveyor. Once discs reach the top section, coffee is discharged into a funnel station while the chain continues its loop back toward intake. Tubing can be shaped to match factory routing needs.
Several discharge stations can be installed along the same conveying loop before the drive unit. When discs reach a selected station, a pneumatically actuated drop door opens, allowing coffee to empty completely with minimal residue before discs continue circulating.
Technical specifications
Download our disc conveyor brochure- Suitable for green and roasted whole beans and ground coffee
- Horizontal, vertical, and multi-bend routing using 45°, 60° or 90° curves
- Multiple intake and discharge stations within one conveying loop
- Stainless steel, food-grade or transparent tubing options
- Fully enclosed dust-tight conveying
- Typical capacity up to 8 m³/hour for green coffee (approx. 5 t/h), lower for roasted or ground coffee depending on density and product type
- Drive systems use a shaft-mounted motor driving a sprocket that moves the continuous chain-and-disc assembly
Maintenance & service
Disc conveyors require predictable routine maintenance focused on chain or cable inspection, disc wear monitoring and tension verification.
Inspection points allow technicians to visually confirm chain or cable condition and perform tension adjustments through integrated tensioning systems.
System upgrade options
- Self-cleaning sponge disc
- Integrated weighing or dosing at intake
- Routing extensions ready for adding equipment downstream
- Ground coffee disc cleaning via compressed air at intake and discharge stations (required for ground)
- ATEX-certified configurations available
Final specifications are engineered per project.
Questions? We're here to assist.
Breakage rates remain very low and comparable to bucket elevators when systems are properly engineered.
Yes. Intake, discharge, or routing extensions can be added as production grows.
No. Continuous disc movement sweeps residue while access points allow periodic cleaning when required.
Yes, with appropriate routing or cleaning procedures between production runs.
Mechanical conveying typically consumes significantly less energy than pneumatic systems, depending on layout and conveying distance.
Need help choosing the right conveying solutions?
Every roastery and growth plan is different. Talk with us and design your optimal conveying architecture.