A common cause of stoppages in bucket elevators is the unwanted accumulation of material in the elevator’s infeed section. If left unchecked, material can accumulate in the infeed section to the point where it interferes with the movement of buckets through this section of the elevator. In the worst cases, built-up material can block the movement of the buckets, leading to an overload situation, which halts the operation of the unit.
This problem often results from material spilling out of the buckets as they move through the elevator. This can occur when the buckets are either overfilled or unevenly filled. Corrective actions require addressing the underlying causes. These are often attributable to improper regulation of the material infeed rate or failure to match the infeed rate with the elevator’s run rate. In addition, installing optional cleanout drawers or trays on the infeed and lower horizontal sections of the elevator can permit the easy removal of any accumulated material within these sections.
Unplanned equipment downtime due to parts failure can seriously erode the operating efficiency of a continuous bucket elevator. While you may never entirely prevent the occurrence of unplanned downtime, there are certain steps that one can take to minimize the impact of such events when they do occur. These include the following:
①Always keep a bench stock of critical operating parts on hand. This allows fast recovery from an unplanned downtime event.
②Track parts failure history to discover which elevator parts are most prone to failing and which should be stocked.
③Practice condition-based maintenance. Maintenance of the elevator should be based on its actual condition, rather than according to a calendar-based schedule. Elevators can also be fitted with condition-based monitoring devices which alert operators and maintenance personnel when an abnormal condition is developing.
