Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials

What is Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials?

Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials is a device used for vertical transportation of bulk materials. It is widely used in pharmaceutical, food, chemical and other industries. In the pharmaceutical industry, Bucket elevator is mainly used to transport pharmaceutical raw materials, intermediates and other materials to ensure that the materials are not contaminated or damaged during transportation and meet the requirements of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) 38.

What are the functions of Bucket elevator for ​pharmaceutical raw materials?

Vertical transportation: lift materials from low to high, suitable for multi-layer production line layout.

Dust-free transportation: adopts a fully enclosed structure to prevent dust from spilling, meeting the cleanliness requirements of the pharmaceutical industry.

Efficient and stable: suitable for continuous production, with a transportation capacity of several tons per hour.

Protect materials: reduce the breakage rate of materials during transportation through optimized design and material selection.

Automated operation: seamlessly connect with the production line, support automated production, and reduce manual intervention.

Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials Application

Pharmaceutical industry: used to transport pharmaceutical raw materials, intermediates, excipients, etc., to ensure that the materials meet GMP standards.

Food industry: suitable for conveying granular and powdered food raw materials, such as candy, nuts, etc.

Chemical industry: used to transport chemical raw materials, such as powders and granules.

Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials customer case

Application Scenario	Amount of improvement	Raise height
A leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in Germany requires a dust-free, GMP-compliant bucket elevator to transport high-value API powders from ground-level mixing to a 10-meter-high encapsulation line.	8–10 tons/hour	10 meters
A US-based pharma plant needed a hygienic, low-breakage elevator to move MCC powder from storage silos to tablet press feeders.	5–7 tons/hour	5 meters
A sterile drug production facility in India requires an aseptic, fully enclosed bucket elevator to transport antibiotic granules between floors	6–8 tons/hour	7 meters

How does the Bucket Elevator for Pharmaceutical Raw Materials work?

The Bucket Elevator lifts pharmaceutical raw materials from the bottom to the top through a bucket fixed on a belt or chain. The pharmaceutical raw materials are discharged at the top by centrifugal force or gravity, completing the vertical conveying process. The equipment usually consists of a drive device, a transmission roller, a tensioning roller, a hopper and a casing.

What are the characteristics of Bucket elevator for ​pharmaceutical raw materials?

Fully enclosed structure: prevents dust leakage and meets cleanliness requirements.

Multiple material options: The hopper and the body can be made of stainless steel (SUS304) or ABS materials, suitable for different material characteristics.

High efficiency and energy saving: low noise and low energy consumption design, suitable for continuous production.

Flexible configuration: supports single-point or multi-point unloading, which can be customized according to customer needs.

Bucket elevator for ​pharmaceutical raw materials Specifications

Model					TH160		TH200		TH250		TH315		TH400		TH500		TH630
Bucket					ZH	SH	ZH	SH	ZH	SH	ZH	SH	ZH	SH	ZH	SH	ZH	SH
Delivery volume m³/h			Normal type		15	25	18	29	31	48	35	60	60	94	75	118	114	185
			Upgraded		-	-	-	-	-	-	46	80	80	125	100	157	152	246
Bucket		Bucket width mm			160		200		250		315		400		500		630
		Bucket capacity L			1.2	1.9	1.5	2.4	3.0	4.6	3.75	6.0	5.9	9.5	9.3	15.0	14.6	23.6
		Bucket distance mm		Normal type	500						512				688
				Upgraded	-						384				516
Chain	Round steel (diameter×pitch)mm				14×50						18×64				22×86
	Number of rings			Normal type	9						7				7
				Upgraded	-						5				5
Bucket running speed m/s					1.2						1.4				1.5
Main sprocket pitch diameter mm					300	365			520		630		710		800		900
Spindle speed r/min					69.71	63.22			44.11		42.5		37.6		35.8		31.8
Particle size mm					20	25			30		35		40		50		60

Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials structure composition

Hopper: used to carry materials, the material can be ABS, PP or stainless steel.

Transmission device: including drive roller, tensioning roller and belt/chain.

Casing: fully enclosed design to prevent dust leakage.

Control system: supports automatic operation and can be integrated into the production line.

How to select Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials?

1. Material P​roperties (Key Factors for Pharma Raw Materials)

A. Powder/Granule Characteristics

Flowability & Stickiness:

Free-flowing powders (e.g., lactose, MCC) work well with centrifugal discharge elevators.

Sticky or cohesive materials (e.g., wet granules) may require vibratory-assisted discharge.

Abrasiveness:

Highly abrasive materials (e.g., some APIs) need wear-resistant stainless steel (316L) buckets & chains.

Hygroscopicity & Sensitivity:

Moisture-sensitive powders (e.g., hygroscopic excipients) require nitrogen-purged or desiccant-dried enclosures.

Explosibility (ATEX Compliance):

Combustible dust (e.g., fine APIs) needs explosion-proof motors & grounding systems.

B. Material-Safe Construction

Material Type	Recommended Bucket/Chute Material
Non-reactive powders	304 Stainless Steel
Corrosive/acidic APIs	316L Stainless Steel (electropolished)
Ultra-clean applications	Polypropylene (PP) or FDA-grade UHMWPE

2. Lifting Capacity (Throughput Requirements)

Capacity (kg/h)	Recommended Elevator Type	Motor Power (kW)
< 500 kg/h	Small Z-Type or Belt Elevator	0.75–2.2 kW
500–5,000 kg/h	NE/TH Chain Elevator	3.7–15 kW
> 5,000 kg/h	Heavy-duty NE Series	18.5–30 kW

3. Lifting Height (Vertical Conveying Distance)

Lifting Height	Best Elevator Type	Notes
< 5m	Z-Type or Belt Elevator	Compact, ideal for inter-floor transfers
5–20m	NE/TH Chain Elevator	Most common for pharma plants
> 20m	Custom Heavy-Duty NE	Requires reinforced structure

Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials price

The price of Bucket elevator for pharmaceutical raw materials varies depending on specifications, materials and customization requirements:

Standard model: about US$2,000 to US$20,000 per unit.

High-end customized model: up to US$200,000 per unit.

The specific price needs to be quoted according to customer requirements (such as conveying height, production capacity, materials, etc.)