Spiral Steel Silos: Lipp Forming Process Guide
Spiral steel silos, also called Lipp silos, are formed on site by a spiral forming machine that shapes steel coil into a round silo body and seams it into a continuous structure. The SM40 spiral steel silo forming machine presented on this site is described as improved from the LIPP-SM40 forming machine, with the same functions. Steel coil is formed by the SM-40 and then seamed by another machine, and the resulting steel cylinders are used for granular, powder and liquid material storage.
The general diameter range for spiral silos is stated differently in different parts of the source documentation, and this guide reports those statements separately rather than merging them into one figure. The company profile states a diameter range of 2.70 to 25.00 metres and a height of up to 35.00 metres. A frequently asked questions page states a diameter range of 3 to 25 metres, a straight-section height of up to 31.5 metres, a height-to-diameter ratio of up to 5.75 and a single-silo maximum capacity of 6,500 tonnes. The grain silo product page states a diameter of 2.7 to 25 metres and, in another place on the same page, 3 to 25 metres. A buyer should therefore confirm which range applies to the specific product and project, rather than treating any one of these figures as a universal spiral silo specification.
Spiral forming suits projects where a silo is formed on site from coil, rather than shipped as panels or sections. The forming speed published in the frequently asked questions material is a bending speed of up to 300 metres per hour. That figure is a forming speed, not a delivery time and not an installation time, and it should not be converted into a project schedule without the rest of the project plan, including foundations, fittings, handling equipment and commissioning.
A spiral silo is one construction method among several on this site. Bolted silos are assembled panel by panel with high-strength bolts, and corrugated galvanized steel silos are assembled panel by panel from corrugated plate. The choice between spiral, bolted and corrugated construction depends on the site, the transport options, the material and the installation resources available, and that choice is settled during the inquiry process. The SM40 forming machine page on this site describes the SM40 only; the SM30, which appears in the company profile as part of a dual-machine set, has no product page here and no SM30 parameter is merged into the SM40 page.
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