What is a plastic elevator bucket?
Plastic elevator buckets are containers bolted to the elevator belt that lift product upward. They are injection-moulded from tough plastics such as polyethylene or polyamide. In mills they are widely used in elevators carrying flour, semolina, bran and cleaned grain.
Advantages
- Light weight: less load on the belt and drive; more buckets can be fitted on the same belt.
- Rust-free: no corrosion problems in humid areas or after tempering.
- Smooth inner surface: products like flour discharge cleanly without sticking.
- Flexibility: it absorbs impact by flexing if the boot chokes, with less risk of damaging the casing.
- Quiet: runs more quietly than steel buckets.
What to check when choosing
Bucket width, depth and lip angle are set by elevator capacity, speed and head pulley diameter. The front lip profile affects how product is thrown towards the discharge spout. Replacing with the same size and hole spacing as your current buckets lets you reuse the belt holes.
Fitting and maintenance
Fit buckets with elevator bucket bolts, aligning the holes in the bucket back exactly with the belt holes. Replace broken, cracked or deformed buckets without delay; a broken piece can jam in the boot and cause bigger failures.
