Powered separator gap control

An industrial screw separator comprising:

• a housing defining a separation chamber, the separation chamber defined at least in part by a screen;
• an auger extending through the separation chamber;
• a restrictor ring disposed to define a gap between the restrictor ring and the auger, wherein the auger is configured to force product in the separation chamber against the screen and towards the gap to produce a first output flow of product that has been pressed through the screen and a second output flow of product that passes through the gap;
• an adjustment assembly configured to move the restrictor ring and adjust a width of the gap, the adjustment assembly comprising:
• an electric motor having a shaft;
• a mechanical assembly coupling the electric motor to the restrictor ring to translate rotation of a shaft of the electric motor into movement of the restrictor ring to change a width of the gap, the mechanical assembly including:
• a leadscrew extending in a direction parallel with an axis of rotation of the auger, the leadscrew defining first threads on an exterior facing surface;
• a leadscrew nut defining second threads on an interior facing surface, the second threads of the leadscrew nut engaged with the first threads of the leadscrew, wherein the leadscrew and the leadscrew nut interact with one another such that one of the leadscrew or leadscrew nut is a rotating member and the other of the leadscrew or leadscrew nut is an axially translating member, the rotating member coupled to the shaft of the electric motor such that rotation of the shaft rotates the rotating member, wherein the rotating member of the leadscrew or leadscrew nut is restricted from axial movement along the axis of rotation of the auger, such that rotation of the rotating member causes axial movement of the axially translating member along the axis of rotation of the auger;
• and
• axial coupling components coupling the axial movement of the axially translating member to corresponding axial movement of the restrictor ring;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the electric motor, the controller having one or more processing devices, a memory coupled to the one or more processing devices, and storage media, wherein the storage media has instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to send commands to the electric motor to move the restrictor ring to change a width of the gap.