Bucket Wheel Excavator Overview
A bucket wheel excavator is a large-scale engineering machinery equipment used for continuous loading, unloading, and stacking of bulk materials. It cuts materials through the rotation of the bucket wheel and, in conjunction with a conveying system, completes material transportation. Because the equipment operates for extended periods in low-speed, high-load, high-impact, and high-dust environments, its key rotating components place high demands on the bearings.
Traditional integral bearings present problems such as difficult disassembly and long downtime during the maintenance of large equipment. Therefore, split bearings, with their advantages of being detachable for installation, requiring no disassembly of the main shaft, and easy maintenance, are widely used in large bucket wheel excavators.
Main Types and Application Industries of Bucket Wheel Excavators
1. Bucket Wheel Excavator
Equipment Features
A bucket wheel excavator is a large continuous mining equipment that performs continuous excavation through its front bucket wheel.
Application Industries
Open-pit coal mines/Iron ore mines/Lignite mines/Large-scale mining
Main Equipment Structure
Bucket wheel mechanism/Bucket wheel drive unit/Boom system/Conveying system/Slewing mechanism
2. Bucket Wheel Reclaimer
Equipment Features
Mainly used for reclaiming materials from stockpiles, feeding stockpiled materials into the conveying system.
Application Industries
Coal yards of thermal power plants
Coal terminals of ports
Raw material yards of steel plants
Cement plants
Common Materials
Coal
Iron ore
Limestone
Mineral powder
3. Port Bulk Loading and Unloading Bucket Wheel Conveyor
Equipment Features
Designed for continuous loading and unloading of bulk materials.
Application Industries
Ports
Ore Terminals
Coal Terminals
Grain Terminals
Application of Bucket Wheel Excavators and Split Bearings in Different Industries
Open-Pit Mining Industry
Equipment Used:
Large Bucket Wheel Excavators
Main Bearing Installation Locations:
1. Bucket Wheel Main Shaft Location
Operating Characteristics
Bears significant digging resistance
Significant impact load
Low-speed heavy-load operation
Split Bearing Used:
Split cylindrical roller bearings
Advantages:
Strong radial load capacity
Suitable for heavy-load continuous operation
Common Model Series:
Cooper 01B series
Cooper 02B series
Cooper 03B series
Cooper 08B large series
2. Bucket Wheel Drive Shaft Location
Operating Characteristics
Connection:
Motor → Reducer → Bucket Wheel
Mainly Bears:
Torsion load
Radial load
Bearing Used:
Split cylindrical roller bearings
Model Series:
01B
02B
03B (II) Thermal Power Generation Industry
Equipment Used: Bucket Wheel Stacker-Reclaimer
Installation Location:
1. Bucket Wheel Shaft
Function: Supports the rotation of the bucket wheel, enabling continuous coal collection.
Recommended Bearings: Split Self-Aligning Roller Bearings
Model Series:
Cooper 230 Series
Cooper 231 Series
Cooper 240 Series
Features:
Automatic compensation for shaft misalignment
Adapts to equipment deformation
Withstands combined loads
2. Conveyor Drum Shafts
Installation Location:
Boom Conveyor Drive Drum
Redirecting Drum
Recommended Bearings:
Split Cylindrical Roller Bearings
Model:
Cooper 01B
Cooper 02B
Port and Terminal Industry
Equipment Used:
Port Bucket Wheel Reclaimers, Stacker-Reclaimers
Main Bearing Installation Locations:
1. Bucket Wheel Drive Unit
Bearing:
Weight of large bucket wheels
Continuous rotational loads
Using:
Split Cylindrical Roller Bearings
Model:
02B Series
03B Series
08B Series
2. Rotary Mechanism Auxiliary Shaft
Function:
Supports the upper rotating structure.
Used: Split self-aligning roller bearings
Model: 230 series 240 series
Steel Industry
Equipment Used: Bucket wheel stacker-reclaimer at raw material yard
Main Installation Parts:
1. Boom connecting shaft
Working Conditions:
Long-term operation
Structural vibration
Large load variation
Used: Split self-aligning roller bearings
Model: 231 series 240 series
2. Conveying system drums
Used: Split cylindrical roller bearings
Model: 01B series 02B series
Selection Table of Split Bearings for Main Parts of Bucket Wheel Conveyors
Bucket Wheel Conveyor Part | Load Bearing | Recommended Split Bearing Type | Commonly Used Model Series
Bucket Wheel Main Shaft | Heavy load, impact, radial force | Split cylindrical roller bearings | 01B, 02B, 03B
Bucket Wheel Drive Shaft | Torque, radial load | Split cylindrical roller bearings | 02B, 03B
Bucket Wheel Support Shaft | Composite load, eccentricity Split self-aligning roller bearings 230, 240 series
Boom connecting shaft, swing load: Split self-aligning roller bearings 231, 240 series
Conveyor drum shaft, continuous rotation load: Split cylindrical roller bearings 01B, 02B
Slewing mechanism auxiliary shaft, heavy load rotation: Split roller bearings 230, 240 series
Commonly Used Split Bearing Brands and Series Reference for Bucket Wheel Excavators
SKF Cooper: Common Series:
01B Series
02B Series
03B Series
08B Series
1000 Series
FAG Split Bearing:
SNS Series
Large Split Roller Bearing Series
Why are split bearings suitable for bucket wheel excavators?
1. Easy installation
No disassembly required:
Bucket wheel
Reducer
Main shaft system
Replacement can be completed immediately.
2. Reduced equipment downtime
Bucket wheel excavators are continuous production equipment, resulting in high downtime costs.
Split bearings enable:
Quick installation
Quick maintenance
Shorter maintenance cycles
3. Adaptability to harsh environments
Suitable for:
High dust
Strong vibration
Impact loads
Low speed heavy load
Long continuous operation
Summary
Bucket wheel excavators are widely used in mining, power plants, ports, steel, cement, and other industries. Although different types of bucket wheel excavators have different structures, their key rotating components are mainly concentrated in:
Bucket wheel main shaft
Drive shaft
Boom connecting shaft
Conveyor drum shaft
Slewing auxiliary shaft
These parts are very suitable for using split bearings due to limited installation space, difficult maintenance, and harsh operating environments.
The most commonly used types are:
Split cylindrical roller bearings:
Cooper 01B
Cooper 02B
Cooper 03B
Cooper 08B
Split self-aligning roller bearings:
230 series
231 series
240 series
Split bearings can effectively improve the reliability of bucket wheel excavators and reduce maintenance costs, making them an important bearing solution for large, continuously operating bulk material handling equipment.
