Bucket Elevator

Introduction

Bucket elevator is used to vertically lift mashed limestone, coal, gypsum, clinker, dry clay and other block granular materials and raw materials, cement, pulverized coal, and other powder materials. According to the running speed of buckets, bucket elevators can be combined with centrifugal discharge type, gravity discharge type and mixed discharge type. Centrifugal unloading type has a fast bucket speed and is suitable for conveying powdery, granular, small pieces and other abrasive materials; gravity unloading type has a slower bucket speed and is suitable for the lower section with a tensioning drum; mixing unloading type is suitable for conveying loose density ρ<1.5t/m3 powder. There are few sprinkles during the loading and unloading, which reduces mechanical wear. The traction members of the bucket elevator have a chain, a NE plate chain bucket elevator, a plated chain, and a tape. The structure and manufacture of the chain are relatively simple, and the connection with the hopper is also very strong. When the material with large abrasiveness is conveyed, the wear of the chain is small, but its own weight is large. The structure of the plate chain is relatively firm and the weight is light. It is suitable for lifting hoists with large lifting capacity, but the hinged joint is easy to be worn. The structure of the tape is relatively simple, but it is not suitable for conveying materials with large abrasiveness. The temperature of the ordinary tape material does not exceed 60. °C, the clamp steel tape allows the material temperature to reach 80 °C, the heat-resistant tape allows the material temperature to reach 120 °C, and the temperature of the material transported by the chain and the chain can reach 250 °C.

Bucket Elevator Structure

Bucket elevator consists of running parts, drive unit, upper unit, middle casing, and lower unit.

Operating parts

Consisting of a hopper and a special plate chain, a single-row chain or a double-row chain.

Drive unit

Multiple drive combination (depending on the actual needs of the user). The drive platform is equipped with a maintenance frame and railings. The drive system is divided into the left assembly and right assembly.

The upper device

Installed with rail (double-row chain), backstop, and the discharge port are equipped with anti-return rubber sheets.

Intermediate section

Part of the middle section is equipped with a track (double chain) to prevent the chain from swinging during operation.

Lower unit

Equipped with an automatic tensioning device.

Bucket Elevator Advantages

• Wide range of lifting: Bucket elevator has less requirements on type, characteristics, and blockiness of materials. It not only lifts the powdery, granular and bulk materials but also lifts the materials with high abrasion and the temperature of the material at 250 °C.
• Large conveying capacity: This series of bucket elevators have various specifications. The lifting ranges amount of 15 to 800 m3/h.
• Long service life: Adopting feeding inflow type, there are little squeeze and collision between moving parts and materials, the design of machine ensures that the material will not be scattered during feeding, lifting and unloading, which prevents the wears on machine, and the conveyor chain adopts a high-strength wear-resistant chain, which extends the service life. According to the practice of foreign similar products in the long term production, the service life of the conveyor chain is more than 5 years.
• Low driving power: Adopting gravity-induced unloading, and large-capacity hopper conveying in the dense arrangement, low chain speed, and large lifting capacity. When the material is raised, there is no return material and material excavation phenomenon, so the invalid power is small, and the theoretical calculation shaft power is about 45% of the chain hoist.
• High lifting height: with low chain speed, stable operation, and the use of plate chain high-strength wear-resistant chain, it can reach a higher lifting height (up to 40m).
• Good sealing, less environmental pollution.
• Good operational reliability: advanced design principles ensure the reliability of the whole machine. The trouble-free time is over 30,000 hours.
• Easy to operate, maintain, less wearing parts.
• The whole machine has good rigidity and high precision: the casing is folded, the middle is pressed, and then welded, the rigidity of the casing is good, and the appearance is beautiful.
• Low cost of use: due to less energy and maintenance, the cost of use is lower.

Operation Parameters

Bucket Elevator Classifications

• TD series bucket elevator

Its specifications are TD100 (not commonly used), TD160, TD250, TD315, TD400, TD500, TD630, TD800, TD1000 and other models, TD160, TD250, TD315 and other models are commonly used models.

• TH series bucket elevator

The TH series bucket elevator is a commonly used lifting device. The bucket elevator uses a forged chain as the transmission part and has strong mechanical strength. It is mainly used for lifting powder and small particles and small blocks. Different from the TD series bucket elevators, the lifting amount is larger and the operation efficiency is higher. It is often used for the lifting of materials with a large specific gravity.

• NE series plate chain bucket elevator

The NE series plate chain bucket elevator is a new type of bucket elevator. It adopts the plate chain transmission, which is different from the old model TB series plate chain bucket elevator. Its naming method is named after the lifting amount instead of the bucket width. For example, NE150 refers to a lifting capacity of 150 tons an hour instead of a bucket width of 150. NE series bucket elevators have high hoist efficiency, and there are NSE models and high-speed chain bucket elevators depending on the speed of the upgrade.

• TB series bucket elevator

The TB series bucket elevator is an older model of bucket elevator. The transmission part is driven by a plated chain and has been replaced by the corresponding NE series bucket elevator products.

• TG series bucket elevator

The TG series bucket elevator is a reinforced belt bucket elevator, which is different from the TD series bucket elevator. The TG series bucket elevator uses steel wire tape as the transmission belt, which has stronger transmission capacity. This series of bucket elevators has been used in grain transportation and has long been called a grain-specific bucket elevator.

• Other models bucket elevator

Common bucket elevator models include HL series chain bucket elevators, GTD series bucket elevators, GTH series bucket elevators, etc., which are different names and evolutions of the previous models.

Bucket Elevator Installation Procedure

• The bucket elevator must be securely mounted on a solid foundation. The surface of the raft foundation should be flat and horizontal, ensuring the bucket elevator’s vertical requirements are met after installation.
  High-height bucket elevators should be attached to their adjacent buildings (such as silos, workshops, etc.) at appropriate locations in the middle and upper casings to increase their stability. Install the lower part firstly, fix the anchor bolt, then install the middle casing, and then install the upper casing. The case is installed successfully and the verticality is corrected. The lead line is measured at full height and the error should be less than 10mm. The upper and lower axes should be parallel and their axis should be in the same plane.
  When the bucket elevator with lower height is installed, the upper, middle and lower cabinets can all be connected and aligned at the ground level, and then the whole suspension is fixed on the foundation.
• After the casing is installed, install the chain and hopper. The U-screw used for the hopper link is both a chain joint and a retainer for the hopper. The nut of the U-screw must be tightened and securely secured against loosening.
• After the chain and hopper are installed, properly tension them.
• Add the appropriate amount of oil and butter to the reducer and housing. The reducer is lubricated with industrial gear oil. Calcium-based or sodium-based butter can be used in the housing.
• The trial operation, an empty test run should be carried out after the installation is completed. Empty operation running should be paid attention to: it can not be reversed, and there can be no bump phenomenon. The air running should be no less than 2 hours, and there should be no overheating, the bearing temperature rise should not exceed 250C, and the temperature rise of the reducer should not exceed 300C. After 2 hours of empty operation, the load can be tested as normal. When the load is tested, the feeding should be uniform to prevent excessive feeding and block the lower part to cause a “boring car”.