Electric drive for a honey extractor: the principle of operation and how to make it yourself

The main task of beekeepers is to timely extract the finished honey from the hives. If in small apiaries such a procedure is carried out manually, then in large beekeeping farms the process is automated by honey extractors. The most common type of honey extractor is called rotary, and the electric drive for such equipment can be made by hand. What will be required for the manufacture of equipment, we will look into the details below.

Working principle

Pumping out ripe nectar from honeycombs is a long and laborious process. If honey extraction is carried out manually, then each frame has to be printed on both sides with a special knife or fork, and only then the sweet bee product is drained from it.When using special equipment, the process of pumping honey is greatly facilitated and reduced in time.

At its core, a honey extractor is a metal tank into which frames filled with honey are placed. Then the centrifuge spins up, the honeycombs are opened under the influence of centrifugal force, and honey flows freely from them.

Honey extractors differ depending on the number of combs placed in them. To fully automate the honey extraction process, an electric drive is installed for the operation of the honey extractor with an additional unit that regulates the speed of rotation of the centrifuge.

Interesting! Honey pumped out of honeycomb frames by means of a honey extractor is called centrifugal.

Varieties

The electric drive for the centrifuge can be purchased from specialized stores or made by yourself. The task of such equipment is to create a torque sufficient to bring the honey extractor into operation.

The main part of the drive is the motor, which can vary in power and design. The following designs are suitable for manufacturing a drive:

• motor from car wipers;
• engine from washing machine;
• electric bike motor;
• power tools;
• generator or batteries.

Advantages of using an electric drive for honey extractors:

• full control of centrifuge speed;
• rotation direction switch;
• control of honey extractor rotation time;
• significant reduction in time and labor costs when pumping honey;
• with automated pumping of nectar, its quantity increases and the quality of the beekeeping product improves.

Important! All types of engines presented are powered by electrical networks with a load of 220 volts, 12 volt batteries or solar panels.

Production

Caution must be exercised in the manufacture of the drive for the centrifuge, because the work is carried out using electrical voltage.

1. When choosing parts for the unit, it is necessary to purchase only high-quality materials, first inspecting them for damage.
2. The drive is assembled strictly according to the instructions, if possible, it is better to get help and support from a specialist.
3. Assembling the structure is carried out in a place closed from children and pets.

After the motor for the centrifuge is selected, you can start manufacturing the drive.

1. The main part of the design is the right engine.
2. Then it is connected to the gearbox, for this a special part is used in the form of a board.
3. The coupling half is used to connect the drive to the gear axle.
4. The rotating parts are coupled with a clutch to the drive axle.
5. One side is rigidly attached to the axis, the other is connected to the main axis of the motor.

Advice! For the correct operation of the drive, it is best to use a translator that generates a normal 220 volt mains load.

Materials and tools

To make an electric drive for a honey extractor you will need:

• belt made of elastic, stretchy material, you can use a part from washing machines;
• generator type G108 or G21;
• pulleys;
• mounts;
• switch with timer;
• pliers;
• hammer;
• triangular and round files;
• electric drill;
• adjustable wrench
• wrenches of different sizes;
• spring size corresponding to the actuator.

Important! With the necessary tools and schemes, even a novice beekeeper can handle the manufacture of an electric drive for a honey extractor.

Scheme

Assembling an electric honey extractor with your own hands is not difficult if you work according to the following scheme:

• remove the lid from the tank;
• make with a tool a tank with a removable lid and two bearings;
• thread and groove are cut on the axis located next to the bearing;
• on the other end of the bearing there is a sleeve that is fastened to the rotor;
• to fix the bearing on the lid of the container, use a metal plate;
• further, the selected and prepared motor is attached to the body of the honey extractor with clamps.

Inside the body of the honey extractor there is a centrifuge and a drum with cassettes for placing honeycomb frames.

The main body of the honey pumping structure must be stainless steel or aluminum, otherwise the bee product will be oxidized. Also, the tank is equipped with a tap, which will drain the nectar extracted from the bee cells.

Assembly

To assemble and start the electric drive for the centrifuge, you must perform the following steps:

• remove an existing drive from the design;
• a hole must be drilled in the large pulley to match the main shaft of the centrifuge;
• install the finished pulley on top of the shaft;
• on the top plate with the gearbox, you need to fix a suitable stud;
• then install the generator;
• in a small pulley make a hole corresponding to the diameter of the shaft, and fix it on the generator;
• the assembled generator is securely mounted on the prepared stud and connected to a voltage of 12 volts;
• using a round file, make a groove on the pulley no more than 8 mm deep;
• next, use a triangular file and bring the groove into a wedge shape;
• an elastic belt is thrown over the pulleys and with the help of a spring it is tensioned;
• to the switch with a timer, connect the ground and the corresponding motor terminal, to optimize operation, one of the motor terminals is connected, skipping one of the sections of the resistance block.

Important! You can adjust the direction of movement of the honey extractor using a belt. If you remove it and throw it back in a figure eight, the direction of movement of the centrifuge will change to the opposite.

Ready-to-use solutions

In specialized stores you can buy honey extractors of various design and power with an electric control unit.Such structures are designed specifically for operation in difficult conditions, are characterized by reliability, high performance and resistance to various climatic and weather conditions.

If the purchase of a honey extractor is not included in the beekeeper's plans, you can purchase an electric drive separately and install it on a homemade structure.

Use

It takes 3 to 5 minutes for an electrically driven honey extractor to pump out he althy and tasty nectar from bee frames. To freely drain the nectar, the unit is installed on a wooden cross, and after the work is completed, the tap is opened and the honey is poured into the prepared container.

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