Types of Chains

Author : ROSIE

Update time : 2023-08-21 11:47:04

There are many types of chains used in chain drives, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The five most commonly used types are listed below:

Roller chains (bushed roller chains)

Silent or inverted tooth chains

Leaf Chain

Flat-top chains

Engineered steel chains

Roller Chain

When it comes to chains, roller chains are probably the one that most people think of. Roller chains or sleeve roller chains are widely used for power transmission in bicycles, motorcycles and other applications in the transportation industry. They are usually made of plain carbon steel or steel alloys.

Roller chains consist of an inner plate (roller chain plate), an outer plate (pin chain plate), bushings, pins and rollers. The rollers are placed equally spaced between the chain links. These rollers engage the sprocket teeth and transmit power through the chain. An important advantage of roller chains is that they rotate as needed when they come into contact with the sprocket teeth, thus reducing power loss.

In a drive chain, the roller chain link plates (on each side of the rollers) are taller than the rollers. This prevents the side plates from coming into contact with the sprocket during operation. In addition to this, they act as guides and prevent the roller chain from slipping.

For roller chains in conveyors, the roller diameter is relatively larger than the height of the side bars. This prevents contact between the side bars and the conveyor track and increases efficiency by eliminating translational friction. Larger rollers also reduce rotational friction.

For greater power requirements, designers can choose multi-chain roller chains. For the same load requirements, having multiple strands allows the use of low speeds and small chain pitches.

Silent Chain (Inverted Tooth Chain)

Most chain drives create a noisy environment due to their high operating noise. In noise sensitive environments such as confined spaces, mines and residential areas, quieter chains are more suitable. This controls disturbance to the surroundings and promotes worker well-being.

Quiet Chain, also known as inverted tooth chain. Silent chains can transmit large amounts of power at high speeds while maintaining quiet operation. Chain consists of flat plates stacked in rows and connected by one or more pins. Each link has the profile of a sprocket tooth on the lower side where it engages the sprocket teeth.

The load carrying capacity of a silent chain increases with the number of flat plates in each link, as does the tensile strength and chain width.

Leaf Chain

Leaf chains are the simplest type of chain in use. They consist only of pins and chain plates. The chain plates alternate as pinned and articulated links. They do not engage the sprocket teeth because leaf chains are designed to run on pulleys for guidance.

Leaf chains can be used in lifting and balancing applications. Some common examples of applications that use leaf chains are lifts, forklifts, forklifts, straddle carriers, and lift masts. In all of these low-speed machines, the chain of the elevator is subjected to high static loads and small working loads. Blade chains can handle shock and inertia better than other chain designs.

All lift chains must be able to withstand high tensile stresses without elongating or breaking. They must be ductile enough to withstand fatigue. As always, lubrication and environmental requirements must be fully considered in the design process.

Flat Top Chains

Flat-top chains are used for conveying only. They can be used in place of conveyor belts and belt drives because the material can be transferred directly over their links. Individual links are usually made of sheet steel with a barrel-shaped hollow protrusion at the bottom. By passing a pin through these protrusions underneath the link, the link connects to the front and rear links. The nature of these joints allows movement in only one direction.

There are special types of flat-top chains that can be bent sideways. The pin structure allows lateral movement in both directions, enabling the conveyor chain to go around the curve.

Flat top chains are used in low speed conveyors for material handling in assembly lines.

Engineered Steel Chains

Engineered steel chains began in the 1880s. The chains are designed to handle the harshest environments and the most demanding applications. They are made of hot rolled steel, sometimes heat treated for added strength.

Engineered steel chains are just as important today. However, their strength, wear rate, load carrying capacity and pitch have increased to meet today's industrial demands.

These chains consist of links and pin joints. The gap between the components of this chain is larger than other chains because it has to deal with dust, dirt and abrasive materials under normal operating conditions.

Most engineered steel chains are used as conveyor chains for material handling, but some are also used in drives. They can be seen in applications such as conveyors, forklifts, bucket elevators and oil rigs.

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