Some bulk material conveying applications involve abrasive or corrosive materials, extreme temperatures and operating conditions, abusive loading or heavy-duty running. These severe service conditions expose equipment to greater stress and wear and tear. Using a bucket elevator designed for general service in these more demanding applications can result in more unplanned downtime, more frequent maintenance interventions, and increased replacement parts consumption.
IS SEVERE SERVICE THE SAME AS CRITICAL SERVICE?
Though some people use these two terms interchangeably, they are not the same thing.
- Severe service refers to the challenges and stresses imposed on the equipment from the following:
- Very high or very low temperatures, either in the material being conveyed or the operating environment
- Abrasive or corrosive materials
- Continuous heavy-duty running or service
- Outdoor service, with exposure to moisture and the elements
- Abusive loading
- Critical service refers to the challenges associated with conveying toxic or hazardous materials. The potential consequences of a bucket elevator not working well in these applications are significant, since equipment failure can lead to serious environmental and facility damage, as well as personnel safety risks.
WHAT TYPES OF BUCKET ELEVATORS ARE BEST FOR SEVERE SERVICE?
Because severe service conditions can turn into severe consequences for your business, it is important to select a bucket elevator that is purpose-designed and built for these challenging applications. Elevators that are specifically designed and built to handle severe service conditions will have less downtime, less maintenance needs, greater durability, and lower total lifetime costs than general purpose equipment.
At UniTrak, we supply TipTrak™ bucket elevators specifically designed for severe service applications. Unlike general purpose bucket elevators, TipTrak™ units for severe service have the following features:
- Rugged all-steel frame construction. Proven heavy duty service designs, crafted from high-quality stainless or carbon steel, provide unmatched durability and reliability in tough operating conditions. TipTrak™ models in stainless steel construction are especially suitable for outdoor applications, or where rusting from the presence of moisture or salt sea air is an issue.
- Severe service rubber beltchain. Reinforced with pre-stretched aircraft cables, the TipTrak™ rubber beltchain provides high reliability and quiet operation. For severe service applications, we supply beltchains made from rubber compounds and stainless steel aircraft cable which are especially formulated to resist abrasion and corrosion, while successfully handling extreme temperatures.
- Abrasion-resistant buckets and assembly parts. Tough Nylatron-AR buckets and drive assembly parts provide high wear-resistance when handling abrasive materials.
- Extreme temperature buckets. Glass-filled Nylon-HT buckets shield against the effects of high heat, while polypropylene buckets service cold temperature applications without cracking or breaking.
- Spillage-free fully interlocking buckets. All TipTrak™ bucket elevators feature a unique joint strip which fully interlocks the buckets to prevent material spillage. For severe service applications, we supply joint strips designed to handle wide temperature ranges, as well as abrasive or corrosive materials.
- Abusive/impact loading mitigation. TipTrak™ severe service units outfitted with infeed controls and chutes can prevent equipment degradation and damage caused by abusive load conditions.
- Customerized features. Our highly experienced in-house engineers can work directly with you and your team to solve virtually any type of severe service conveying challenge.
If you require a severe service bucket elevator, UniTrak has the know-how, experience and equipment lineup to reliably handle your severe service application. With a TipTrak™ bucket elevator designed for severe service, you can maximize your uptime, reduce your unplanned maintenance interventions and spare parts usage, and enjoy unmatched equipment longevity. To find out more about how UniTrak can support your severe service needs, please contact our sales team directly.
