AGI unveils customer-driven bucket elevator at GEAPS Exchange

USA – Ag Growth International (AGI) has introduced a new bucket elevator engineered around operator and maintenance feedback, underscoring a shift toward serviceability and uptime in heavy-duty grain handling.

The equipment was officially unveiled at the Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) Exchange held at the Kansas City Convention Center, reported by the Word Grain.

The newly launched AGI Bucket Elevator delivers capacities ranging from 10,000 to 120,000 bushels per hour (bph), positioning it for use across commercial elevators, port terminals, ethanol plants and oilseed crush facilities.

However, company executives emphasized that scale was not the only focus. Nearly a year of structured discussions with operators, maintenance teams, and engineering specialists shaped the final design.

“For me, that was the most exciting, which was going to the customers, and instead of bringing them something we think they want, we ask them what they want,” said Ashley Gierok, enterprise sales manager at AGI.

“We went to many different groups, whether operational or maintenance, those doing the technology and specifications, and got their opinions. We had detailed conversations that asked, ‘What is it that would help you in your day-to-day operations?”

The customer-driven approach is evident in the bucket elevator head configuration. Multiple inspection doors and strategically positioned access points provide safe and practical access to critical components, enabling faster inspections and simpler adjustments while reducing downtime.

In grain handling environments where unplanned shutdowns can disrupt throughput and logistics, easier access to wear components directly supports operational continuity.

Additional enhancements include Rino shaft seals designed to provide dust-tight and abrasion-resistant protection for bearings and drives, reducing maintenance frequency.

A fully removable front head panel and discharge section allow outside access to high-wear areas, eliminating confined space entry during liner or tile replacement. External throat plate adjustment further improves safety by enabling changes from outside the elevator casing.

Inspection trunking sections feature nine-foot-high, full-width access, allowing unobstructed entry to both sides of the belt during inspection and servicing.

The boot section is engineered with load-bearing outer C channels and fully removable, non-load-bearing panels, accelerating pulley replacement and general maintenance tasks.

AGI has also incorporated a patent-pending optional guided gravity take-up mast bearing system. The design guides smooth vertical movement in matched channels, maintaining consistent belt tension and improving tracking.

When engaged on demand, the integrated screw take-over maintains full-load belt tension and doubles as a built-in service position for controlled inspection and maintenance.

JaMall Wilson, global design manager for AGI’s Permanent Handling division, said the engineering team concentrated on how maintenance is performed in real-world environments.

 “Every access point, inspection door and wear surface was evaluated to make maintenance tasks more efficient,” he said.

From a configuration standpoint, the elevator can be customized across a wide specification range, including bucket size, row combinations and projection depth.

 “With our design, we offer any bucket size, any combination of rows, any projection depth, whatever you need along the way through that spectrum to provide footprint options,” Wilson noted.

The equipment is manufactured in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the GEAPS display unit set to serve as a demonstration model following the event.

“What I’ve heard end users talk about is scale, yes, but scale in this format makes a lot of sense,” Wilson said. ”

Sign up to HERE receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.