Put an observer on the drawing
A maintenance note saying the screw runs clockwise is incomplete without a viewing direction. Two people looking along the same shaft from opposite ends describe the same physical rotation differently. Mark the end from which the rotation is described and keep that reference in photographs, drawings and supplier correspondence.
Also mark the inlet, outlet and drive position. The goal is a shared description of the existing assembly. Do not try to settle the wording by changing the machine's running direction.
Hand and rotation are two separate entries
KWS's screw component guide explains that screw hand and rotation together determine material-flow direction. Its illustrations locate the motor and reducer, making the reference part of the explanation. KWS also publishes a separate visual explanation of right- and left-hand screws.
Ask the replacement supplier to identify the screw hand on the approved drawing and confirm the intended flow using the same viewing reference. Include the complete screw reference and relevant geometry, rather than relying on an unlabelled photograph of one flight. A proposed replacement should be checked as an assembly, including its end connections and position within the conveyor.
Use photographs to preserve the reference
During an approved, isolated inspection, capture the identification and arrangement needed for the enquiry. Label each image with the viewing end and equipment identity. If a loose spare is photographed, show how it relates to the drawing instead of allowing its position on a bench to become the implied installation direction.
Where the old record is contradictory, ask the equipment supplier to resolve it from the documented configuration. Keep uncertainty visible until it is resolved; do not convert an ambiguous stores description into a confident purchase specification.
Retain a confirmed configuration for the next order
The handover record should identify the supplied screw, hand, end connections, drawing revision and viewing reference. Have the responsible team approve the intended operating arrangement using the equipment's instructions. This article gives no electrical reconnection procedure or authorization to reverse an installed drive.
The original diagrams illustrate viewpoint and documentation. They do not serve as a manufacturing drawing or a commissioning rotation instruction. The purchasing outcome is a screw configuration that both parties can describe from the same reference.
Manufacturer announcements and our analysis are distinguished. Product claims require verification for the specific application.
Sources
KWS — Screw conveyor screws, component guide ↗Primary explanation of screw hand, rotation, flow and drive-location references. No rotation instruction is transferred to an unidentified machine.
KWS — Right-hand versus left-hand screws, visual explanation ↗Manufacturer explanation and transcript support the distinction between handedness and rotation. No hands-on inspection of moving machinery is proposed.
