The Reason and Solution to Bucket Elevator Material Accumulation

The Reason and Solution to Bucket Elevator Material Accumulation

(1) Uneven material feeding. When feeding is too much, the feeding rate exceeds the lifting capacity which makes material remain in surplus and accumulation, besides, the materials inside the base elevates gradually, the running resistance of the buckets increase gradually and reach a certain extent, the rubber belt will slip which will cause machine shut-down or motor burn-down.

Solution: Control the feed rate strictly, non-load operation first then open the gate of material incoming gradually. Observe material rising condition by the front inspection door. When material surface reaches bottom wheel unparallel axis line, the material feeding gate can’t be wide open any more.

(2) Large material returning flow will make material can’t flow to discharge pipe and return to the base, thus the base material is increased and will lead to blockage.

Solution: reduce material backflow.

(3) When machine suddenly shut down due to power failure or other faults, the mass weight of lifting branch and the returning branch is unequal, which makes the bucket elevator reversed, the material inside the buckets return back to the base, it will lead to base blockage when you start the machine up again. 

Solution: Installing a holdback device in the side of the elevator shaft to prevent bucket elevator reversals.

(4) Rubber belt slipping will reduce the lifting capacity of the bucket elevator, thus the material inside the base will increase and block. 

Solution: increase the tension, prevent belt slip.

(5) Big foreign lumped material enters into the base and causes blockage.
Solution: Install guard fences at bucket elevator inlet to prevent accidents.