Maintenance for roller chains
Regular maintenance and lubrication are preconditions for low wear and long service life of the chain drive. Maintenance and lubrication frequency, as well as the related relubrication, is determined by operating conditions (tensile forces, temperature, contamination, aggressive media)
During regular visual inspections special attention should be paid to stretching due to wear, tension, lubrication condition, and evidence of wear due to tracking errors. Checking the maximum permissible stretching due to wear: The length of a chain is defined by the pitch p and the number of links X. In the course of time stretching due to wear occurs, and usually this can be measured without removing the chain. The difference from precise measurement with a specified measurement load is slight if measurements are conducted over the highest possible number of chain links, approximately 20 to 40.
The chain should be replaced at:
• Max. 3 % for simple drives
• Max. 2 % for high-performance drives
• Max. 1 % for special applications (synchronous operation, positioning)
Controlled retensioning of the chains has a very positive effect on the chain life. Extreme retensioning should be avoided just as much as excessive slack. A guideline figure would be a tension load of approx. 5 % of the actual chain pulling force. In the case of chains running in parallel both strands must be tensioned equally, at best by a common shaft for both sprockets. If no automatic chain tensioning device is available, the chain must be adjusted by hand by altering the distance between the sprocket shafts. A further possibility with long drives is to shorten the chain by removing individual links, provided that wear is relatively light. Various tools are available for dismantling and reassembling the chain. These tools are available for parallel pin and shouldered pin chains. Before relubrication the chains and sprockets should be cleaned to remove obstinate contamination and to permit the lubricant to penetrate via the back of the plates. The surface of the chain can also be cleaned using an appropriate solvent. Complete immersion and washing is not recommended as the cleaning agent does not evaporate completely from within the chain and thus the penetration of the fresh lubricant is obstructed. During visual inspection attention should be paid to evidence of chain linkplate marking and wear due to tracking errors. These are caused by misaligned sprockets or guides or by chains which are not in parallel.
Guide for alignment deviations per 100 mm axle separation:
• 0.1 mm with fast-running drives and close axle spacing;
• 0.2 mm with slow-running drives.
The sprockets should be constantly inspected and if necessary replaced. We do not recommend that new chains are used with worn sprockets.
To order the right chain and for correct information. Please supply with the necessary dimensions for us to quote you correctly and give right information.
Dinamik Transmission - Chain Identification code
1.) Pitch - p
2.) Inner length - b1
3.) Inner link length - b2
4.) Roller and bush diameter
5.) Pin diameter
6.) Simplex, duplex or triplex
7.) Drawing for the attachments and/or accessories
Where the roller chain is used?
Please give us the machinery name or place that the roller chain is going to be used thus we could send you application examples.
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