Bucket Elevator Manufacturing Process
Release time:2026-01-27
I. Production and Processing of Core Components
- Raw Material Selection Select the plate material based on the characteristics of the conveyed material (abrasiveness and temperature). Generally, Q235 carbon steel is used for general operating conditions, stainless steel for corrosive materials, and high-manganese steel for highly abrasive materials.
- Cutting and blanking : Adopted CNC plasma cutting machine or Laser cutting machine Accurately cut the sheet material, ensuring precise dimensions for both the hopper opening and bottom, with an error margin controlled within ±1 mm.
- Bending and forming Through Hydraulic bending machine Bend the cut板材 into the hopper body and hopper sides. The bending angles must precisely match the design drawings to ensure the hopper’s load-bearing capacity and welding fit.
- Welding reinforcement : Adopted Carbon Dioxide Gas-Shielded Welding At the joints of the welding hopper, the weld bead height shall be no less than the thickness of the plate. After welding, the welds must be ground to remove slag and burrs. For heavy-duty hoppers, wear-resistant lining plates should be installed and welded securely at the hopper opening to extend their service life.
- Surface treatment The carbon steel hopper needs to be processed. Pickling and phosphating + Primer coating + Topcoat Treatment or hot-dip galvanizing for rust prevention; stainless steel hoppers are directly polished to ensure a smooth, burr-free surface.
- Conveyor belt (for belt-type elevators) Purchased industrial rubber conveyor belts (or custom-made high-temperature and wear-resistant conveyor belts), cut to length according to the elevator’s height, with both ends equipped with... Vulcanized Joint Process Fabricate joints that ensure their strength is no less than 90% of the conveyor belt’s body strength, thereby preventing delamination and breakage during operation.
- Chain (for chain-type elevators) : Adopted Roller chain or Plate chain The chain pitch must match the sprocket tooth pitch; chain production must go through... Cutting → Forging → Heat Treatment (Quenching + Tempering) → Precision Grinding → Assembly After heat treatment, the chain’s hardness must reach HRC40-45 to ensure tensile strength and wear resistance.
- Cutting the shell plate material : Select thick steel plates (8–16 mm, determined based on the size of the model), through... CNC flame cutting machine Cut the side panel, top panel, and bottom panel of the shell.
- Welded forming First, spot weld the plates to fix their relative positions. After verifying the verticality and horizontality, proceed with... Submerged Arc Welding Perform full welding, followed by post-welding. Annealing treatment Eliminate welding stresses and prevent shell deformation.
- Flange machining Weld connecting flanges to the inlet and outlet ports and inspection openings of the shell. The flange surfaces must be machined to be smooth and flat, ensuring a tight seal with external equipment.
- Surface coating Perform rust-proof coating treatment consistent with the hopper.
- Roller (for belt-type) A seamless steel pipe is used as the drum body, with shaft heads welded to both ends, via... CNC lathe The mating surfaces of the precision-turned axle heads shall ensure a coaxiality of ≤0.05 mm. The surface of the roller must be covered with rubber to increase friction with the conveyor belt and prevent slippage.
- Sprocket (for chain drive) : Adopted Cast steel or forged steel Raw material, passed through CNC milling machine When milling gear teeth, the tooth profile must comply with national standards, and the tooth surfaces must be... High-frequency quenching Treatment achieves a hardness of HRC55 or higher, enhancing wear resistance.
- Drive shaft : Use 45# round steel, through CNC lathe Turning journal bearings and keyways, Milling machine For keyway machining, the shaft ends must be machined with threads or flanges for installing couplings and bearings; the entire assembly is processed. Tempering treatment Ensure the shaft’s strength and toughness.
II. Complete Machine Assembly Process
- Secure the tail casing onto the assembly platform, then install the tail roller/sprocket onto the bearing housing on the casing. Adjust the position of the bearing housing to ensure that the roller/sprocket is both horizontally and vertically aligned, with a tolerance of ≤0.1 mm/m.
- Install the tail-end tensioning device (screw tensioner or hydraulic tensioner), adjust the tensioning stroke, and leave sufficient slack for the conveyor belt or chain.
- The intermediate cylinder sections are joined according to their lifting height. The cylinder sections are connected via flanges and bolts, and sealing gaskets are installed at the joints to prevent dust leakage. After assembly, the overall machine’s verticality must be checked and corrected; the verticality error should be no more than 0.5 mm/m to avoid belt misalignment or chain jamming during operation.
- Lift the die head housing onto the top of the intermediate barrel, connect it to the flange, and tighten the bolts. Install the die head roller/sprocket and the transmission shaft; connect the transmission shaft to the motor and reducer via a coupling, ensuring proper coaxial alignment.
- Install the discharge device at the machine head (such as a discharge baffle), adjust the baffle position to ensure that the hopper discharges material completely with no backflow.
- Belt-type Place the conveyor belt over the head and tail rollers, then tension the belt using the tensioning device. Next, secure the hoppers to the conveyor belt at the designed spacing using bolts or rivets. The hoppers must be arranged neatly, with a spacing error of no more than 2 mm.
- Chain-type Place the chain over the head and tail sprockets, then, after tensioning the chain, hang or weld the hopper onto the chain at the pre-set position.
- Install Deviation detection device, speed detection device, anti-blocking material device Install safety protection components; install ancillary facilities such as maintenance platforms, ladders, and protective guards.
3. Testing, Debugging, and Factory Acceptance Tests
- Check whether the connecting bolts of each component are securely tightened and whether the hopper is installed firmly. Measure the belt misalignment and ensure that the chain meshes smoothly with the sprockets. Verify that grease has been properly applied to all lubrication points.
- Measure the verticality of the entire machine and the coaxiality of the transmission shaft to ensure compliance with design requirements.
- Start the motor and proceed. 2-4 Small-space no-load operation Observe whether the equipment is running smoothly and check for any unusual noises or vibrations. Also, monitor the bearing temperature—its temperature rise should not exceed 40℃, and the maximum temperature should not exceed 80℃.
- Adjust the tensioning device to ensure that the conveyor belt or chain has an appropriate level of tension, avoiding excessive slack that could cause slipping or excessive tightness that would increase energy consumption.
- Gradually load materials at 50%, 80%, and 100% of the designed throughput, and run the equipment continuously for more than 4 hours. During this period, monitor the equipment’s conveying efficiency and discharging performance, ensuring that there is no material leakage or blockage.
- Verify the reliability of safety protection devices, such as whether the equipment can automatically shut down when material blockage occurs.
- After the load test has been passed, clean the dust and oil stains from the equipment’s surface and organize the factory documentation (drawings, certificates of conformity, instruction manuals, etc.) before delivering the equipment to the customer.
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