In the material conveying systems of industries such as mining, building materials, and chemical engineering, the Apron Feeder plays a crucial role as the "front-end feeding hub". The installation and commissioning quality of this equipment not only directly affects the operational stability and service life of the equipment itself, but also has a cascading impact on the efficiency of the entire production line.
This article focuses on the five core steps of "receiving - preparation - installation - motor commissioning - trial operation", disassembles the key points of standardized operations, provides practical technical guidance for on-site operations, helps enterprises avoid installation risks, and enables the efficient commissioning of equipment.
Apron Feeder Receives
The transportation and storage process of the equipment from the factory to the site is a crucial stage for maintaining the integrity of the components. The following three dimensions need to be given special attention:
● Before Opening The Box
⑴. Before opening the box, all three core documents - the equipment manual, installation drawings, and packing list- must be collected. Verify that the equipment model, component list indicated in the documents, and the actual delivered items are consistent;
⑵. If any of the documents are missing or the models do not match, immediately contact the supplier to complete the missing documents. It is strictly prohibited to open the box without proper documentation.
● After Unpacking
⑴. Check each component (such as the frame, chain plate, drive assembly) against the packing list, ensuring there is no collision deformation or missing parts. Immediately re-seal the packaging boxafter confirming everything is in order.
⑵. Only open the box for the second time when the corresponding components need to be accessed during installation. This is to prevent long-term exposure of the parts, which could lead to dust accumulation and rust.
⑶. If any component is damaged (such as the chain plate deformed or the bearing making abnormal noise), take photos to record the damage and mark the location. Immediately notify the supplier.
● Storage And Lifting
All components must be placed on horizontal supports or sleepers. Direct contact with the ground is strictly prohibited (to prevent rusting at the bottom);
Short-term storage (≤ 1 month): Use waterproof canvas to completely cover the equipment. When wrapping, a ventilation gap should be reserved to avoid moisture accumulation;
Long-term storage (> 1 month): Preferably store in an indoor dry warehouse. If stored outdoors, wrap with a thickened tarpaulin for rain and sun protection, and elevate the bottom by at least 30cm.
Drive components (electric motors,reducers) should be stored separately indoors. The surface should be coated with anti-rust oil, and the junction box should be sealed with a waterproof plug.
(2) Lifting Specifications
Operate strictly according to the marked special lifting pointsin the manual. Do not randomly bind the frame or chain plate;
The contact points during lifting should be wrapped with soft cloth to protect the paint surface of the body from being worn;
Select lifting tools with a load-bearing capacity of ≥ 2 times the weight of the equipment. When lifting, do it slowly and uniformly to avoid the body twisting and causing component misalignment.
Preparations Before Installing The Apron Feeder
The preparatory work before installation should cover "personnel, components, and tools", to prevent delays in the project schedule or operational errors due to insufficient preparation.
● Personnel Preparation
⑴. All personnel involved in the installation must thoroughly read the equipment manual and the supporting component manual(such as the motor and reducer manual), and understand the equipment structure (such as the chain wheel transmission principle, chain plate connection method) and safety operation procedures;
⑵. Specialized training will be conducted for key operations (such as bolt torque control, chain plate connection), ensuring that personnel can proficiently use measuring tools (such as torque wrenches, level gauges).
● Component Inspection
- ⑴. Verify the quantity of components against the shipping details, with a particular focus on precision components:
- Bearings: Rotate the outer ring of the bearing by hand to ensure smooth rotation without any sticking;
- Chain plates: Check if the pin shafts of the chain links are loose and if the plate surface has any cracks;
- Reducers: Inspect the sealing surfaces to ensure they are intact and there are no oil leakage marks;
⑵. If any defects are found (such as frame deformation or wear on the chain wheel teeth), they must be repaired first (such as frame correction or grinding of rusted areas), and only after the components meet the standards can the installation process proceed.
● Tools And Materials
- ⑴. List of essential tools:
- Lifting equipment: crane, special lifting ropes (check the wear condition of the ropes in advance);
- Measuring tools: level (precision 0.02mm/m), torque wrench (range 0-500N・m), tape measure (precision 1mm);
- Fastening tools: socket wrenches, hexagon wrenches (matching the specifications of the equipment bolts);
- ⑵. Lubricating materials: Prepare special greases according to the instructions (such as No. 220 gear oil for reducers and lithium-based grease for bearings). Do not mix different types of grease.
The Core Installation Of The Apron Feeder
The installation process should follow the sequence of "positioning → hoisting → component installation → adjustment → tightening". Precision requirements must be strictly controlled at each stage to prevent operational failures later on.
► Basic Positioning
- ① Based on the on-site process layout and installation drawings, mark the center axis of the equipmentwith ink lines to ensure that the deviation between the machine head and tail positions and the upstream and downstream equipment (storage silo, subsequent conveyor) for connection is ≤ ±5mm;
- ② Measure the foundation plane with a level gauge. If the flatness deviation is > 3mm/m, it is necessary to level it with cement mortar before installation.
① Use a crane to lift the rack to the base position and adjust its levelness (longitudinal levelness ≤ 1mm/m, lateral levelness ≤ 5mm/m);
② There are two options for the foundation fixation method:
- Pre-installed bolts fixation: The bolts should be tightened to the torque specified in the manual (generally 350-400N・m), and after tightening, use double nuts for anti-loosening;
- Pre-installed steel plate welding: The welding seam between the rack and the steel plate should be ≥ 8mm in height, and there should be no missed or incomplete welding. After welding, the welding slag needs to be knocked off and anti-rust paint should be applied;
③ If it is necessary to adjust the height of the rack, steel pads (thickness ≤ 5mm) can be added between the rack and the foundation, but the pads must be welded together with the pre-installed steel plate to prevent loosening.
► Installation Of Key Components
(1) Installation of Chain Wheel Shaft Assembly
- ① Lift the chain wheel shaft assembly to the corresponding position on the frame and initially tighten the connecting bolts (do not fully secure them yet);
- ② Use a dial indicator to measure the accuracy:
- Theperpendicularity between the sprocket shaft and the center line of the frame should be no more than 1/1000 of the bearing span (for example, if the bearing span is 1000mm, the perpendicularity deviation should be no more than 1mm).
- The levelnessof the chain wheel shaft ≤ 1mm/m;
- ③ After meeting the accuracy standards, tighten the bolts in a diagonal sequence, and the torque value can refer to the manual (generally 400-450N・m).
(2) Installation Of Tensioning Device
① Lift the tensioning device to the rear of the frame and adjust its relative position to the sprocket shaft:
- The parallelismof the axis line of the tensioning device and the axis line of the sprocket should be ≤ 5/1000 of the bearing span;
- Measure the diagonal length based on the two axis lines, and the difference should be ≤ 1mm;
- ② After adjustment, fix it with bolts, and the bolts need to be equipped with spring washers for anti-loosening.
(3) Installation Of Bearing Supports
- ① Before installing the bearing supports, it is necessary to clean the debris inside the shaft holes and apply lubricating grease;
- ② After installation, check using the pull-line method: the longitudinal straightnessof the center lines of each supporting wheel should be ≤ 1mm, and the lateral straightness should be ≤ 5mm.
- ③ If the deviations exceed the standards, additional adjustment pads (with a thickness of ≤ 2mm) can be installed under the bearing support base, and then the pads can be welded and fixed after adjustment.
(4) Installation Of Motor And Reducer
① Attach the combined assembly of the motor and reducer onto the main shaft and secure it using the locking disc;
- ② The locking disc bolts should be tightened symmetrically and crosswise, applying a torque of 470N・m with a torque wrench to ensure uniform force distribution on each bolt;
- ③ If the reducer needs to be disassembled, it must be guided by professional technicians from the manufacturer on-site. Self-disassembly is prohibited (to avoid damaging the internal gear meshing accuracy).
(5) Installation Of The Chain Plate Device
- ① Before installation, raise the lower part of the frame with steel plates to ensure that the height of the raised part is level with the chain support pulley, to prevent the chain plate from damaging the frame during dragging;
- ② Use a crane to lift the steel wire rope at the end of the chain plate, and slowly pull the chain plate to slide from one end to the other. During the sliding process, someone should hold the chain plate to prevent it from getting stuck;
- ③ When connecting the chain plates:
The fit tolerance between the live pin shaft and the chain link is slightly loose. It can be gently hammered into place with a hand hammer, and it is prohibited to hit it hard;
Mark the live pin with paint at the connection point to facilitate subsequent maintenance and disassembly;
- ④ After all the chain plates are connected, adjust the screw of the tensioning device to make the chain plate neither too loose nor too tight (the sag of the chain plate in the return section should be ≤ 50mm, without over-tightening or over-relaxation).
►Post-installation Inspection
① Mechanical part inspection:
- All bolts (especially the chain plate connection bolts) are not loose, and the welding seams have no missed welds;
- The chain plate has no twisting, scraping or collision with the frame, and the chain support wheel rotates flexibly;
② Electrical part inspection:
The wiring of the motor complies with the electrical drawing requirements, and the grounding resistance is ≤4Ω;
The cable trough is securely connected, the signal lines are undamaged, and the electrical protection devices (overload protection, emergency stop switch) operate normally;
③ Remove the transportation support components (refer to the installation diagram to confirm the position), clean the residual tools, waste materials (such as bolts, welding slag) inside the equipment.
Motor Debugging Of The Apron Feeder
The motor, as the driving source, its installation and acceptance directly affect the operational efficiency of the equipment. Therefore, a separate debugging process needs to be formulated.
Acceptance Inspection
• Check the motor nameplate: Ensure that the parameters such as power, speed, and voltage are consistent with the design requirements;
• Visual inspection: The casing is not deformed, the fan cover is intact, and the junction box is well sealed;
• Manual test: Rotate the motor shaft by hand, feel that the rotational resistance is uniform, and there is no sticking or abnormal noise;
• Insulation test: Use an ohmmeter to measure the insulation resistance of the motor winding, at normal temperature ≥ 5MΩ(in humid heat environment ≥ 0.25 MΩ).
Installation Tips
(1) Environmental Adaptation
The working environment temperature should be controlled within **-15℃ to +40℃**. If it exceeds this range, a special motor resistant to high and low temperatures must be selected;
The installation location should be well-ventilated to ensure that the motor's intake and exhaust ports are unobstructed and that the discharged hot air does not flow back;
In dusty environments (such as mining crushing workshops), a dust cover should be added to the motor; in scenarios with flammable gases, an explosion-proof motor must be selected.
(2) Wiring And Fixation
- The connecting bolts between the motor base and the frame need to be tightened. The torque value should refer to the motor manual (generally 200-250N・m);
- During wiring, distinguish between the phase wire and the neutral wire. Do not connect them reversely (to avoid motor rotation in the opposite direction);
- When the cable is introduced into the junction box, a sealing ring should be added to prevent dust or moisture from entering.
Test Run Of The Apron Feeder
The trial run is the final step in verifying the installation quality. It should be conducted in the sequence of "no-load → load" and should be tested step by step. Direct full-load operation is strictly prohibited.
No-load Test Run
⑴ Operating time: Continuous operation for no less than 2 hours, record data every 30 minutes;
⑵ Qualification criteria:
- Operating condition: The chain plate and chain wheel run smoothly, without jamming, scraping, or abnormal noise, and the vibration amplitude is ≤ 15mm;
- Sealing performance: There is no oil leakage or oil seepage at the bearing and reducer joint surface (the leakage amount within 2 hours is ≤ 5ml);
- Tightening condition: All bolts are not loose, especially the connecting bolts of the chain plate;
- Temperature control: The maximum temperature of the bearing is ≤ 60℃, and the temperature rise (compared to the ambient temperature) is ≤ 30℃;
- Chain plate connection: The overlap of the two arcs of the bending section is ≥ 10mm, and there is no misalignment.
- ⑶ If any abnormalities occur (such as overheated bearings, chain plate deviation), the machine must be stopped immediately for inspection and troubleshooting. After the problem is resolved, a new test run should be conducted.
Load Test Run
- ⑴ Pre-requisites: The no-load test run must be qualified, and the upstream and downstream equipment must be ready for feeding;
- ⑵ Operating Requirements:
- Load Application: Start from 30% of the designed load, increase by 10% every 30 minutes, gradually reaching 100%;
- Operating Time: Run at full load for no less than 2 hourscontinuously;
- Performance Inspection:
- a. Discharge Volume: Test according to the rated discharge volume specified in the manual, with a deviation of ≤ ±5%;
- b. Motor Current: The current at full load does not exceed 1.1 times the rated current;
- c. Component Status: The chain plate shows no obvious wear, the chain support wheel rotates normally, and there is no abnormal vibration.
⑶ After the test run is qualified, the "Test Run Record" should be compiled, recording the equipment parameters, abnormal situations, and handling results, which will serve as the basis for equipment commissioning.
Standardization Is The Prerequisite For Efficiency
The installation and commissioning of the Apron Feeder is a combination of "precision and patience" - from the meticulous protection of the equipment during the receiving stage, to the millimeter-level precision control during installation, and to the step-by-step verification during the trial run. Each step must be strictly followed according to the specifications.
For enterprises, standard installation not only reduces the later maintenance costs (such as avoiding component wear caused by chain plate deviation), but also shortens the equipment's production cycle and quickly enables it to play its role as a hub in material transportation. It is recommended that on-site operators combine the key points of this article with the equipment manual, and consult technicians in time for uncertain sections to ensure that the equipment is installed accurately at the first attempt and operates stably for a long time.
If you have any other questions regarding the plate feeder, need a customized installation plan, or want to learn more about equipment maintenance techniques, please feel free to contact us at any time.
