Bucket Conveyor Systems have been a crucial machine in the rice mill industry. They help move the grains systematically with the least amount of wastage and no manual effort. However, due to improper usage or excessive usage, the bucket elevator can be dismantled or not work as expected. This machinery is also subject to wear and tear like any mechanical device because of its stainless steel components. In order to avoid downtime or avoid wastage in your rice mill, it is best to learn the know-hows of this machinery. You must also be prepared for any foreseeable challenges while using a bucket conveyor system and learn how to fix them. Let’s understand the most common problems you will face in bucket conveyor systems and how you can resolve them.
1. Material Returns at Head
If your input grain material is returning to the bucket conveyor system head, these could be the following reasons:
- The hopper structure design is not well built, and it cannot help discharge the materials
- Slow head rotation speed
- Low discharge head height
- Wide gap between the hopper and discharge lip plate
You can fix this by optimising the hopper structure so that it meets the necessary requirements of grain ejection. Try to increase the rotation speed of the grain elevator so that it smoothly discharges the rice grain. Make appropriate height adjustments to the bucket conveyor system head so it can throw the material properly. Keep the trajectory consistent with the discharge space, and reduce the gap between the hopper and discharge lip plate, as it will allow the grain to smoothly pass the gap and flow into the discharge hole.
2. Drive Motor Fault
At times, too high temperatures can cause the drive motor to fail, ultimately causing the motor to burn. High temperatures can be a result of too small of a design power or jammed parts of the bucket conveyor system. It is important that you pay attention and test the bucket conveyor system while it is being installed in your rice mill.
The moment you notice a “stuffed” scenario, turn the power off, find the cause, adjust, and remove that hiccup in time. Additionally, use a bucket elevator whose driving power is more than 30kW. This is because the hydraulic coupler comes with overload protection technology, and it can assist with preventing overload caused due to motor burn. In this way, you can rest assured that the bucket conveyor system will operate normally.
3. High Vibrations and Noise
If you have a bucket conveyor system for more than 5 years, chances are that the machinery will vibrate significantly and create a great deal of operating noise. This could happen because of the following reasons:
- When the bucket elevator is not installed accurately and the verticality angle is improper, and the head and tail wheel have been neglected, the whole machinery will vibrate when in use.
- The hopper falls off and causes jamming, leading to vibration.
- When the parts that connect bolts between the conveyor belt and hopper fall off, they skew the hopper, which affects the parallel placement of the hopper axis in line with the vertical axis of the bucket conveyor system. This causes the belt and hopper to load eccentrically due to creation of lateral force, which causes significant noise and vibration.
Ensure that the bucket conveyor system is installed accurately wherein the head and tail wheel are properly aligned in the specified range, and the machinery meets the verticality requirement. If you find the falling bucket producing lateral force, fix it well in time. Ensure the chain is tight when the machine is running.
Conclusion
Due to a lack of the necessary intervention, rice bucket conveyor system problems can lead to catastrophic issues in your mill. Careful installation of the bucket conveyor system and fixing any problems well in time can help you increase the efficiency of rice production. Moreover, timely maintenance and repairs can safeguard your rice mill equipment from significant damage.
