Whenever there are advances in either conveyor or elevator chain technology, it is likely that you will find RUD Group at the forefront.

And it is no surprise to find that, with so many years of successful patents to their name and with the thoroughness and attention to detail that is typical of the company, RUD has taken the evolution of chain elevator bucket attachments another step closer to perfection.

Where single-link and in-line attachments are employed, round-link chain elevator systems have built-in weaknesses.

Where the attachment is part of the chain loop replacement is a major exercise. Lifting gear has to be requisitioned and several personnel have to be diverted from other duties to stop the elevator and either repair or replace the damaged attachments.

Increasingly, the components that comprise RUD’s conveyor and elevator systems reflect their philosophy of simplicity and quality.

An excellent example is the new back wall bucket attachment – the “22WIN”.

With the 22WIN the plant operator wins, not only in terms of trouble-free operation and predictable maintenance schedules but also with longer in-service life, operational security and flexibility.

Of interest to the purchasing officer and store manager, the 22WIN inventory consists of just one opposable, high-quality, wear-resistant, cast flange and a locating pin. - no complicated sets to stock and account for.

Installation is so simple. By centring a pair of flanges on the locating pin and rotating and pressing them together, the 22WIN grips two in-line chain links leaving one free link in between. Each flange is pre-drilled and tapped to receive a standard threaded bolt which is used to secure the bucket to the 22WIN.

This ‘multi-link’ attachment, combined with continuous chain loops, offers well-proven and superior advantages over single link and in-line devices.

No special tools, no welding and no mechanical training are required and RUD’s 22WIN is easily understood and assembled in minutes.

The 22WIN does not impede the travel of the chain as it passes over the drive wheels – plain or toothed. Furthermore, the compact nature of the 22WIN, enables buckets to be mounted closer together thus increasing elevator productivity.

RUD doesn’t do things in haste. It may look simple but it took years of consultation and metallurgical tests, including 2 years of operational trials, to perfect this simple, trouble-free device.

Today, more than ever, when margins are tight and time-out to repair a damaged bucket eats into profits, plant managers and finance controllers alike want predictability, reliability and cost-effective operation. In short, no nasty surprises.

RUD’s continuous elevator chain technology with its cleverly conceived components, such as the 22WIN, is designed to minimise unscheduled production interruptions and, at a time when skilled labour is in short supply, to ensure that maintenance periods are incident-free and as far apart as possible.

A heavy-duty elevator bucket attachment which looks set to confine most other devices to the scrapheap of history, the 22WIN is already replacing more complicated devices in plants across the world and is to be found, proving it’s worth, in every day use in major cement, fertiliser and other heavy duty bulk handling applications in countries as far apart as India, Germany and Iran.

The 22WIN is available in a range of compatible sizes from 14 to 34 mm.

RUD Ketten GmbH & Co., 73428 Aalen, Germany, T:+49 (0) 7361 504 1457, F:+49 (0) 7361 5041523, www.rud.de, E: conveyor@rud.com