Bucket elevators, as you are already aware, are widely used in rice mills to transport grains smoothly, speedily, and efficiently across the different stages of processing. Automated, these elevators maintain the quality of rice, prevent damage or breakage, minimise the dependence on human labour, and improve operational efficiency. They primarily feature a hopper that acts as a grain reservoir, buckets for scooping up and conveying the grains, a chain or belt that moves the buckets along, and trunks that accommodate the belt and support the buckets.
Now, if you are reading this, you must be wondering how to boost your bucket elevator’s capacity for better throughput. The ways to do so are discussed below.
How to Improve Rice Bucket Elevator Capacity?
Here are the 5 things you can do to enhance your bucket elevator’s capacity. However, watch out for any issues that might crop up due to changes and only opt for those hacks that suit your particular elevator.
1. Increase Bucket Fill
Are you not filling the buckets to their maximum capacity at present? If so, consider increasing their fill. However, make sure there is no spillage of rice grains due to overfilling, or it will hamper your mill’s efficiency. Factor in the angle of the buckets, the fill percentage at present, the bulk density of grains, and the speed of the elevator before increasing bucket fill.
2. Go for Bigger Buckets
Larger buckets can hold more rice grains and naturally improve the elevator’s capacity. But make sure the trunks and chain can support the same properly. Sometimes, changing the bucket shape, style, or design can do the trick too. Increasing the height of the front lip or tweaking the bucket front’s angle might also work. You can check the bucket elevator price for varying sizes of buckets offered by different suppliers.
3. Introduce More Buckets
Check the current spacing between buckets in your grain elevator. If there is scope, introduce extra buckets and reduce the spacing. This way, more grains can be conveyed during the same timeframe. However, avoid stacking the buckets too closely as this can impact the feeding and discharge process negatively. The elevator might end up spilling grains unnecessarily.
4. Boost Chain Speed
If you increase the speed at which the chain or belt of your rice bucket elevator moves, it will end up cycling the buckets more frequently. Hence, you will be able to transport more rice grains during the same timeframe. However, ensure the increase in belt speed is in line with the feed rate, otherwise grains might spill. Remember that boosting the chain speed can also wear down different components of the bucket elevator or create more noise than usual.
5. Choose Better Materials
Try to replace existing buckets with ones made of materials that are more robust but lighter. This will lower the overall load on the elevator, enabling it to work faster and at a greater capacity. A lighter but stronger belt can also handle greater loads and higher speeds without breaking or malfunctioning.
Apart from the above, you need to track the bucket elevator’s performance regularly so as to optimise capacity and keep downtime at bay. Embracing an automated control system can also help you to monitor loads, change speeds, and spot problems in real time.
Conclusion
All in all, if you wish to augment your existing bucket elevator’s capacity, including more or bigger buckets, increasing the bucket fill, or using better materials for the belt and buckets can do the trick. If none of that works, consider replacing your machine after researching multiple manufacturers and comparing the cost of bucket elevators offered by different suppliers along with their features. Make sure you have enough space and the right layout for the new model. Besides keeping your budget in mind, go through past customer reviews and ask about after-sales support as well as warranty before making a decision.
