Bucket Elevators for Critical Service Applications

Critical service applications are those which involve the conveying of dangerous materials that are hazardous to life and well-being. These applications include those with materials which are extremely dusty, explosive or toxic, as well as those where the material’s integrity may be affected by exposure to the surrounding environment.

In critical service applications, minimizing risk and ensuring health and safety while achieving compliance with applicable regulations are key concerns. For these types of applications, buyers of continuous bucket elevators need to ensure that the equipment can fully service the demands of the application.

BUCKET ELEVATORS FOR CRITICAL SERVICE APPLICATIONS: KEY CONCERNS

In selecting a bucket elevator for a critical service application, the following are key concerns that should be considered:

• The unit must be fully sealed. Fully sealed units contain toxic or dusty materials and prevent fugitive emissions into the surrounding space. Units which are fully sealed also prevent the product being conveyed from coming into contact with the surrounding environment.
• The elevator should be fully grounded. Since a spark or source of ignition can trigger an explosion, a fully grounded elevator provides a ground path for any static buildup which could lead to a spark.
• The elevator should prevent static buildup. While grounding is important, it is also important to prevent static buildup in the first place. Bucket elevators for critical service should feature anti-static buckets and fully conductive drive assemblies.
• The unit should be explosion-resistant. If an explosion should occur, a bucket elevator should be capable of mitigating the effects. Explosion-resistant elevators feature constructions that are especially designed to withstand the effects of an explosion.
• The unit design should support the use of a purge gas during operation. In critical service applications, a bucket elevator may need to be run with a purge gas to prevent product degradation or contamination through oxidation, moisture absorption, or other means. The elevator design should feature gas-tight construction to enable operation with purge gas.

BUCKET ELEVATORS FOR CRITICAL SERVICE APPLICATIONS: TIPTRAK™ MONOCOQUE ELEVATORS

TipTrakTM Monocoque continuous bucket elevators from UniTrak are a preferred choice of companies the world over for critical service applications. With its fully-sealed explosion-resistant design, the TipTrak™ Monocoque model is also an excellent equipment choice for servicing applications which require gas-tight construction, such as when the product being handled requires a purge gas. In these types of applications, TipTrak™ Monocoque elevators can be operated and purged with either positive or negative pressure.

TipTrak™ Monocoque elevators are available in a variety of styles, capacities and configurations. Each Monocoque unit can be fully customized to support the needs of each application. To find out more about TipTrak™ Monocoque bucket elevators for critical service applications, please contact the UniTrak sales team directly.