Bucketwheel

A bucket wheel is a type of large, continuous excavation machine used primarily in surface mining and dredging. It features a rotating wheel with a series of buckets arranged around its rim. As the wheel turns, buckets scoop loose material from the ground, transport it along a conduit or conveyor, and discharge it into a nearby chute or onto a stockpile or processing belt. The machine is typically mounted on crawlers or rails and connected to one or more discharge conveyors that move material away from the excavation site.

In mining, the bucket wheel excavator (BWE) is designed for high-throughput removal of soft, unconsolidated materials such as lignite and other sands and clays. BWEs are usually large and stationary, optimized for flat or gently inclined terrain, and they rely on substantial electrical power, conveyor systems, and supporting infrastructure. They are known for their productivity in suitable deposits but have drawbacks, including high capital and operating costs, limited mobility, and environmental impact from landscape disturbance and dust.

Dredging applications use bucket wheel mechanisms in a similar fashion to scoop sediment from riverbeds or seabeds and transfer it to barges or shore-based processing facilities. While the core principle—the rotating wheel with buckets—remains the same, dredge variants are optimized for underwater or aquatic work and different material handling arrangements.

Notable examples are bucket wheel excavators built by manufacturers such as TAKRAF, which have been deployed in large open-pit mines around the world. The term “bucket wheel” may also refer to the wheel-and-bucket arrangement used in related crane and dredge equipment.