Intervention leads to preservation: Full elevator overhaul at Codrico
Inspection revealed that the elevator belt was due for replacement, and it needed new wear plates. This work was carried out in a single stop to prevent many unnecessary standstills.
Codrico Rotterdam BV recently told us its elevator used for the intake of raw materials was behaving erratically. Wear of the pulley’s lagging was putting the elevator belt out of alignment, so that the misalignment monitoring system issued constant alarms.
Closer inspection revealed that the elevator belt was due for replacement, and it needed new wear plates. All this work was combined and the assembly was carried out in a single stop to prevent many unnecessary standstills.
Activities progress
The drive pulley and the elevator belt were lifted from the elevator together. The first assembly team could then disassemble the elevator buckets, which were still in good condition. The buckets were able to be attached to the new belt immediately because the new elevator belt had already been punched and delivered. Meanwhile the new NBR pulley lagging was applied at the plant’s workshop in Pijnacker in the Netherlands. This type of rubber is highly suitable for products containing oil and grease. High-quality NBR lagging prevents the belt from slipping, and ensures optimal friction between the belt and drive. This removes the need for an extremely tightly-tensioned belt, which in turn reduces the load on the bearings and shafts.
Bearings
When the pulley was lifted out the bearing housings opened up. So the client agreed that the bearings should be replaced preventively, and new SKF bearings were installed. This was an important part of the repair work, because worn bearings can become an ignition source, thus constituting a potential dust explosion hazard.
Elevator belt
A Polysur® 276 elevator belt was then installed. This thoroughly oil and grease-resistant belt was developed especially for applications in the agricultural and animal feed industry.
Belt fastener
The Maxi-Super elevator belt fastener – a product engineered in-house – was installed to make this belt endless. The fastener has a highly unique, removable NBR wear part fitted on its aluminium wedge area. This causes the wear part to wear down rather than the elevator belt. It also ensures continuous rubber contact between belt and fastener on the pulleys, resulting in a better-balanced installation and preventing any unnecessary battering noises as the fastener runs over the pulleys.
Wear resistance
Kryptane®, which is unsurpassed in elasticity and wear resistance, was used to cover the elevator head. This material is perfectly resistant to the product flow of sharp cereals and is also sound-deadening, making it ideal for residents living near the plant.
About Codrico in Rotterdam
Codrico Rotterdam BV is a leading company in Rotterdam specialising in processing raw materials like cereals and corn. It manufactures high-quality snacks (such as energy bars), breakfast cereals and other components for the foods we consume daily.
