Equipment reliability is the main factor of competitiveness

Requirements to modern elevator equipment

Due to intensive development of grain processing industry of Ukraine there is a need to increase the volume of grain acceptance and processing at the enterprises. Many enterprises face the problems of equipment wear and tear, which limits their ability to achieve passport productivity. This increases the demand for reliable transportation and gravity conveying equipment.

Modern elevator equipment must meet the following criteria:

• Reliability.
• Energy efficiency.
• High quality of technological processes.
• High quality of equipment.
• Reliability of equipment.

Reliability is the main factor of competitiveness of modern elevator complex. It is a technical and technological parameter characterized by the ability of equipment to operate without stopping for repair with minimum material and time costs for maintenance and adjustment. Reliability includes uptime, durability, maintainability and safety.

Grain Capital's design office ensures equipment reliability at the design stage. Key areas include kinematic scheme selection and calculation, application of design solutions, equipment unification, selection of construction materials, complex calculations, and ensuring the manufacturability of design solutions.

Main stages of reliability assurance

• Technological parameters of equipment - speeds of working bodies, geometry of outlet devices, loading and transportation modes.
  
• Drive mechanisms - power, starting and operating torques, service factors, operating modes.
• Bearing units - bearing type, seals, bearing size, nominal and operating loads.
• Material properties of working elements - shafts, drums, pestles, traction elements.

Technological calculation of equipment determines all technical and technological parameters of operation and consists of stages of calculation of basic technical characteristics, geometry of loading and unloading devices, durability of main units.

The team of Grain Capital Design Bureau together with the Department of "Technological Equipment of Grain Production" of Odessa National Technological University highlighted the priority areas of high reliability:

• Use of reliable, high-strength traction units.
• Use of wear-resistant housing parts.
• Application of reliable bearing units.
• Bearing units

Bearing units must be designed for the entire service life before overhaul. Manufacturers of elevator equipment should provide bearing service life of not less than 20-30 thousand motor hours.

Main causes of bearing failure

• Misalignment of shaft journals.
• Unbalance of rotating parts.
• Violation of maintenance and operating requirements.
• Incorrect bearing selection at the design stage.

Grain Capital Transportation Equipment

Transport equipment is equipped with self-centering bearing units and is designed for a service life of at least 30 thousand motor-hours. The main advantages of Grain Capital equipment:

• Robust, high-strength traction units.
• Wear-resistant housing parts.
• Reliable bearing units.

Designing of a grain enterprise should be performed by a specialized design organization with orientation on grain technologies. Designing is carried out on the basis of modern scientific methods of analyzing the operation of equipment and capacities of the enterprise.

Main causes of deformation and destruction of shafts and hubs

• Violation of shaft and hub seating conditions.
• Incorrect calculation of key joints.
• Inaccurate manufacturing of contact surfaces.
• Occurrence of destructive friction bonds in the fit.

Main causes of failure of drives:

• Destruction of bearing seals of gearboxes.
• Poor quality of insulation of electric motor windings.
• Violation of gear manufacturing technology.
• Lack of heat treatment of shafts and hubs.

Grain Capital uses drive technology exclusively from leading European companies, ensuring high reliability of transportation and processing lines with minimal operating costs.

Author of the article: Alexander Glivinsky, Technical Director of Grain Capital.