Bucket elevator is a conveying machine that uses a series of buckets evenly fixed on an endless traction member (such as a chain or belt) to continuously transport bulk materials upward in a vertical or nearly vertical direction.
1. Working principle of bucket elevator:
• The motor drives the bucket chain or belt through a transmission device (chain or belt drive).
• Driven by the traction member, the bucket rises along a vertical or inclined track.
• The material is loaded into the bucket from the feed port or hopper and is lifted to the target position with the bucket.
• After reaching the target position, the unloading device dumps the bucket to discharge the material from the bucket.
• The empty bucket continues to move to the bottom, and the loading, lifting, and unloading process is cyclically carried out.
2. Structure and composition of bucket elevator
• Bucket: used to load materials, different materials are selected according to the characteristics of the material, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, polypropylene PP, etc.
Traction components:
• Belts: commonly used cotton core rubber belts, nylon core belts, steel rope core belts, the conveying temperature generally does not exceed 60℃, and heat-resistant belts can convey materials up to 150℃.
• Chains: including ring chains, plate chains, etc., single chains or double chains are selected according to the width of the hopper.
• Driving device: composed of transmission rollers (or sprockets), motors, reducers, couplings, check valves, etc., providing power and controlling the movement of the transmission device.
• Top and bottom rollers (or sprockets): support and guide the movement of the traction components.
• Tensioning device: adjust the tension of the traction components to ensure the stable operation of the transmission device.
• Casing: prevent dust from flying and protect the internal components of the equipment.
3. Main features of bucket elevators
• Large conveying volume: has a large conveying capacity to meet various production process requirements.
• High lifting height: The lifting height can reach 40 meters to meet the material lifting needs of different places.
• Stable operation: using advanced transmission devices and materials to ensure the stability and reliability of the equipment, with a trouble-free time of more than 20,000 hours.
• Strong adaptability: suitable for lifting and transporting various bulk materials (such as granular, powdery, and blocky materials), widely used in mining, metallurgy, building materials, chemical and other industries.
• Simple structure: compact structure, easy operation and easy maintenance.
• High space utilization: compared with horizontal conveying equipment, it occupies a small area and saves space.
4. Application scope of bucket elevator
• Mining and mining industry: lifting and conveying coal, ore, metal ore, etc.
• Metallurgy and smelting industry: lifting and conveying raw materials and by-products such as iron ore, coke, limestone, etc.
• Building materials industry: lifting and conveying building materials such as cement, sand, gravel, and gypsum.
• Chemical and pharmaceutical industry: lifting and conveying chemical raw materials, granular materials, powders, and pharmaceutical intermediates.
• Food and feed industry: lifting and conveying of bulk food and feed materials such as grains, beans, feed ingredients, etc.
