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Removing old, stuck bolts from buckets and belting is not a fun way to pass the time. When bolts rust or have damaged threads, they can be painstakingly difficult and time-consuming to remove. A ratchet socket wrench can be slow and doesn’t always work. After spending hours attempting to remove stuck bolts, taking a hammer to them might seem like a great idea, but it will only hurt your bucket.

A better option is using an elevator bucket bolt cutter. They can help you safely and quickly remove bolts from buckets and belting. You’re not going to re-use the bolts, so it’s easier just to cut them off. Standard bolt cutters just won’t cut it though. Elevator bucket bolt cutters are made for stuck elevator bolts and are more efficient and only require a fraction of the time – snip and done vs spin the nut off and hope they come off. In addition, standard bolt cutters are designed to be used at a 90-degree angle – a luxury you don’t have with elevator buckets.

“These, unique, one-of-a-kind conversion of snippers have specially designed teeth specifically for cutting bolts from within the buckets,” said Jeff Lavery, KC Supply Co. owner. “Since the cutter is inserted directly into the bucket, the teeth ‘bite’ through the bolt, nut and washers.”

To see how quickly our bolt cutter cuts through an elevator bolt, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51p7EOtY5X8

If rusted-over bolts are keeping you from replacing your old elevator buckets and belting, KC Supply has a solution for you. We can answer any questions you may have about elevator bucket bold cutters and help you find the right cutters for your needs.

KC Supply, founded in Kansas City in 1988, is an industry leader in supplying industrial/agricultural products. For more than 25 years, we’ve been leaders in conveying and elevating equipment. We also offer safety supplies and are proud to offer one of the largest selections of Knappco and Civacon products. Call us at 800.527.8775 or visit www.kcsupply.com.

Hazardous locations – where there is the potential for a fire or explosion due to electrical equipment operating in an area where there might be flammable or ignitable gases, liquids, vapors, dusts or fibers – require equipment rated for the environment, including lighting.

The National Electrical Code (NEC) along with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) have a published guide that classifies hazardous areas into classes, divisions and zones.

Class II locations consist of locations where combustible dusts may exist and have the potential to become flammable or ignitable. In Class II locations, the dust’s ignition temperature, electrical conductivity and thermal blanketing effect it can have on heat-producing equipment such as lighting fixtures and motors are the deciding factors in determining the Class II groups. Locations that would be considered among Class II locations include grain elevators and grain-handling facilities, and flour and feed mills.

Group G dusts include plastic dusts, most chemical dusts and food and grain dusts. They are not electrically conductive. These dusts, in general, have the highest thermal insulating characteristics and the lowest ignition temperatures. Thus, equipment for use in Group G atmospheres must have the lowest surface temperatures to prevent ignition of a layer by the heat generated by the equipment.

In 2017, there were three major dust explosions in the United States, which killed several employees. Most recently, in May, an explosion at a mill in Cambria, Wisc., killed five and injured 12.

Dust explosions are one of the most dangerous and challenging hazards facing a grain handling facility. That’s why Class II-G electrical components are required in grain elevators. These components include lighting.

This lighting is important for safety and for meeting OSHA’s hazardous location lighting safety standards (OSHA 29 CRF 1910.272). According to OSHA, compliant lighting should be “An apparatus enclosed in a case that is capable of withstanding an explosion of a specified gas or vapor that may occur within it and of preventing the ignition of a specified gas or vapor surrounding the enclosure by sparks, flashes, or explosion of the gas or vapor within, and that operates at such an external temperature that a surrounding flammable atmosphere will not be ignited thereby.”

Lighting rated for a grain handling facility must be designed to prevent inadvertent ignition, either by preventing ignited gases or materials from escaping the light during a fault or ignition within the light – which could ignite the surrounding volatile atmosphere – or by prohibiting the potential for the creation of sparks and heat. Also, switches, contacts, internal wiring and other potential sources of electrical energy are heavily shielded and sealed against the possibility of contact or damage that may cause sparks or overheating should the unit become damaged. So lamps and electrical contacts are encased within rugged sealed housings that can contain an internal explosion and/or channels are created through the use of finely threaded joints and pathways within housings that force escaping ignited gases to travel along lengthy passages before exiting the housing, in turn lowering the temperature of these gases to a safe level before exiting the unit and gaining exposure to the environment outside of the lamp.

Do you have questions about Class II-G-compliant lighting? Call the experts at KC Supply Co., 800.527.8775. KC Supply stocks an extensive inventory of Class II-G lighting as well as confined space entry, single-gas and multiple sensor gas monitors to maintain a safe working environment in your grain handling facility. Reduce the risks of fire, explosion, hazardous exposure and asphyxiation, and keep your employees safe with equipment rated for the environment. Visit us at www.kcsupply.com to learn more.

At this time of year and all year round, giving back to our community is something that KC Supply Co. Inc. feels privileged to do.

Industrial/agricultural product supplier KC Supply has supported Special Olympics of Kansas (SOKS) for years – through donations such as T-Bones Baseball season tickets and the Annual Polar Plunge. KC Supply is proud to once again team up with SOKS as one of the sponsors of this annual event, to be held January 27, 2018, in various locations throughout the KC metro area. 

At the Polar Plunge, brave souls raise money and then “plunge” into icy water in the middle of winter. It might sound crazy, but it’s for a worthy cause: the funds raised help Kansans with intellectual disabilities achieve greatness in inclusive communities across Kansas. 

SOKS annually serves more than 5,489 children and adults with intellectual disabilities through a grass-roots network of volunteers who serve as coaches and organize local events in one or more of the 22 different sports offered throughout the year. SOKS does not receive governmental funding and is not a United Way agency. It relies solely on the generosity of individuals and corporate donors.

“We feel that is it very important to support our community as well as charitable organizations,” said Jeff Lavery, owner of KC Supply. “We believe it is our obligation to assist others whenever possible. The Special Olympics of KS is a great organization, and supporting the Polar Plunge is one example of how we can help others. We are honored to be able to work with SOKS!”

If you’d like to join KC Supply in supporting this worthy cause – or maybe you’re brave enough to participate – visit plungeks.org.

KC Supply, industrial/agricultural product supplier, was founded in Kansas City in 1988 and has since become an industry leader. For more than 25 years, we’ve been leaders in conveying and elevating equipment. We also offer safety supplies and are proud to offer one of the largest selections of Knappco and Civacon products.

We know you have choices for suppliers, but KC Supply will work to earn your trust and become the experts you look to for the best products at the best prices. We want to be your valued business partner and will work hard to ensure that you keep returning to KC Supply year after year.

KC Supply is customer-focused and dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. Without our customers, we don’t exist!

Visit our website, www.kcsupply.com – if you can’t find what you need, please give us a call (800.527.8775 or 800.KCSUPPLY) and we will be happy to help you!

Happy holidays from our KC Supply family to yours! Thanks for making KC Supply your trusted industrial/agricultural product supplier!

Not all polyurethane, or “urethane,” liners are created the same or possess the same properties or quality. But how urethane is manufactured and fabricated determines how effective it is in a specific application.

Industries that can benefit from the use of urethane liners include the grain, sand and gravel, crushed stone, coal, gold, silver, copper, salt, and many others involved in the handling or conveying of bulk materials.

Industry applications for urethane liners include:

• Grain: Areas of the bucket elevator including head section, distributors, transitions, elbows, spouts and chutes and screw conveyors; to protect grain, feed and other materials from breakage
• Mining: Spouts and chutes, elbows, bins and hoppers, belt scrapers, noise and vibration dampening, feed boxes, classifier shoes, perforated particle sizing screens and skirt boards
• Concrete: Lining of central batch mixers and blades
• Foundry Castings: Lining of vibratory trough for deburring of parts; sandblast and shotblast curtains

Urethane is an elastomeric material with outstanding properties and wear characteristics that offers superior cut and abrasion resistance. It possesses the ability to “self-heal,” and can be formulated to have specific properties (i.e. co-efficient of friction, resiliency and compression set can be formulated high or low). Other benefits include its excellent resistance to ozone and aging, it’s resistance to many oils and solvents, and its outstanding low-temperature properties. It increases the lifespan of equipment and solves wear problems. Urethane can be molded and bonded to a variety of substrates, and it is lightweight, making it flexible and ideal for many applications.

When it comes to urethane liners, as with many products, you get what you pay for. For example, not all of them meet FDA standards for dry food handling and cushion grain, feed and other materials from breakage. So be selective when choosing a type and brand of liner so you don’t sacrifice quality, durability or service. You want a reliable, high-quality urethane liner because it will prove to be most cost-efficient for your business in the long run.

At KC Supply, quality urethane liners are stocked and ready-to-ship today!  Call our experts at 800.527.8775 to discuss what kind of urethane liner is best for your business, or visit our website at www.kcsupply.com/lining-materials to view our wide selection of lining materials.

When it comes to your bins, it’s critical to know whether they are empty, full or somewhere in between.

If you don’t have the resources required to install electrical wiring to your storage bins, KC Supply Co. offers two bin-level monitor options for you: The LevAvert and the Binzful.

The LevAlert is a simple, mechanical lever-operated bin-level indicator, while the Binzful is a slightly more robust indicator that also works with your handheld two-way radios. In a glance, the LevALERT black and yellow Indicator shows you the level of material in your bin while you remain safely on the ground. Whether you fill your bins once a year or several times a day, LevALERT saves you time, labor and money.

LevALERT benefits include:

• Safety:  see the level of material in your bin while you remain safe on the ground
• Easy Installation:  fully assembled and ready to install from outside your bin
• High visibility:  can be easily seen from 200 feet, day or night
• No electricity required:  completely mechanical
• Adaptability:  easily accessorized with an optional electrical sensor to activate horns, lights, motors, etc.
• Increased safety:  virtually eliminates the need to climb bins
• Saves money:  greatly improves your operation by saving you time, wear and tear on equipment, and your body. You only need a second to check how full or how empty your bin is.

Binzful is available in a single- or multiple-bin monitor version. The benefits of these portable, wireless bin-level monitors include:

• Easy set up and use
• Prevents bin overfilling
• Completely portable
• No expensive wiring to install
• Customizable wording and frequency of alarms
• Rechargeable battery lasts up to 6 months  battery

Binzful monitors work with your existing two-way handheld radios. Simply lower the cable and switch to the desired depth (supplied with 30-foot cable). Verbal warnings are sent directly to your radio – when the monitor is turned on, a “bin is monitored” message is sent to your radio, and the “monitor is on” message can be repeated every hour to let you know it’s working. When the tilt switch is activated by the grain pile, a warning message is repeated until the condition is corrected.

Both LevALERT and Binzful bin-level monitors boost productivity, as they allow you and your employees to work instead of babysit your bins, saving time, labor and money.

KC Supply Co. is your trusted source for bin-level monitors. Call us today at 800.KC Supply today and ask our experts which bin-level monitor option will work best for your business.

Conveyors are used to economically and efficiently move bulk materials from point A to point B. But are you using the right type for your business?

Screw and drag conveyors are the most commonly used types of conveyor systems. Choosing the one that best fits your business depends on your application and needs.

Screw conveyors move product from one point to the next by pushing the product with a rotating shaft and flight assembly. With screw conveyors, the inlet is usually control-fed by equipment that discharges the product at a specific rate. Screw conveyors are a completely enclosed system, which helps reduce product spillage as well as reduce dust emissions. They require minimal maintenance because they have few moving parts, and they can carry a wide variety of products from free-flowing to slow moving.

Screw conveyors are available in various designs and sizes, ranging from 4-inch to 24-inch in diameter and up to 120-inch in diameter with flights as thick as 2 inches. They can be made from a variety of metals, including mild steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, hastalloy, monel, Inconel and other alloys.

If you are limited by space, drag conveyors may be your best option for conveying bulk materials over, under and around other equipment. They are energy efficient, requiring less horsepower to move a product than most other conveying equipment. With drag conveyors, the bulk material enters the conveyor through a bypass inlet to allow the product to fill the lower portion of the housing without contacting the chain and flights on the return rail.

Drag conveyors are available in a round-bottom or flat-bottom option. Drag conveyors, by design, can convey product with little to no product degradation, which is important when you have bulk materials that are pelletized or you want to maintain a product’s integrity. Drag conveyors typically do a better job when you need to thoroughly clean out product at the discharge point.

Is your current conveyor system meeting your needs? KC Supply Co. experts can assess your current screw and drag conveyor system or any other system and answer questions, including how to make your conveyor more economical and efficient. KC Supply offers new and replacement parts and can customize conveyors, including screw and drag conveyors, to fit your unique application and business. We have many years of experience and several manufacturing plants throughout the United States to meet your needs. We offer various parts and sizes for screw and drag conveyors and can even customize them for you. Call 1.800.KC.SUPPLY.