Products

Increased Bucket Elevator Efficiency & Production

> Download PDF Brochure

Problem

A local cement manufacturing plant needed to increase production and lower maintenance downtime on their bucket elevators.

Solution

KWS was contacted and asked to review the current cement plant operations and offer solutions. Field Engineers from KWS visited the plant on four separate occasions to meet with engineering, operations and maintenance personnel to determine the exact needs of the plant. The bucket elevators were handling both cement clinker and finished cement. Operations personnel wanted an increase in production of 25-percent while maintenance personnel wanted to eliminate downtime on the bucket elevators. Engineering personnel required that we meet these criteria while maintaining the same casing size.

KWS evaluated the current bucket elevator design and provided a 25-percent increase in production by modifying the bucket design and spacing. The current elevator chain and sprockets were inspected for wear patterns and tested for hardness. New chain and sprockets were provided with the replacement elevators with a minimum hardness of 53-Rc to handle the harsh application. KWS was able to use the same casing size and footprint of the existing bucket elevators.

Material thickness of the head, boot and casing sections was increased to improve rigidity and life. Seal-welded construction and adjustable gland seals for the shafts eliminated a dust problem in the plant. Sensors were provided in the head and boot sections to detect any overload conditions. KWS provided on-site assistance to the installation contractor to eliminate common installation and start up problems.

Special Features

• Abrasion Resistant Materials – To Reduce Wear and Increase Life
• High Torque Drive Units – To Power Through Upset Conditions
• Dust-Tight Construction – To Eliminate Dust Emissions
• Super Capacity Design – To Increase Capacity and Production

<< Back to Index