Knowing when to replace your roller chain is an important part of your energy transaction process. This is because wear on any part of the roller chain (also known as the drive chain or conveyor chain) will cause damage to other process components such as gears, sprockets or pins.
Unfortunately, if roller chain damage is not identified early enough, it will begin to affect other components, which can be much more expensive to replace.
That's why it's important to understand and recognize the signs of roller chain wear and find the nearest drive chain distributor or conveyor chain manufacturer as quickly as possible with your order.
We want to be able to help you find the right type of products or solutions when it comes to replacing mechanical and manufacturing components. So here we have put together a little guide for you:
What is a roller chain?
A roller chain, conveyor chain or drive chain is a chain – you guessed it – made up of 5 compartments; the roller, bushing, pins, master link, as well as the outer and inner plates. Together they form a long chain that can be associated with a sprocket or gear to help transmit power from a motor to a gear and so on.
1. Roll
This is a cylindrical metal casing that surrounds the bushing. It is designed this way so that all parts can move freely and allow for a flexible chain. There is lubrication between these components that must be maintained to prevent wear.
2. Bushing
This is another cylindrical hollow metal casing that surrounds the pins but sits inside the rollers. Not only that, but the bushing is fixed to the inner plates. The inner plate is peanut shaped with a cylindrical bushing at each end.
3. Support pins
It is a reinforced and solid mental cylinder that is inserted inside the lubricated bushing to allow free movement. Like the bushing, the bearing pins are attached to a peanut-shaped (outer) plate with two pins attached to each side.
4. Internal and external signs
These plates, as mentioned, are peanut shaped with a bushing and support pins attached. They are connected and interconnected by pins that enter the bushing housings. They swap to create a long chain; the first pin matches the last bushing shell and then the first bushing shell matches the last pin on a different board. They are all closed together with the roller at the top of the bushing.
5. MasterLink
This is a specially designed link used to attach a chain. A master link is not always necessary as there are certain lengths that are standard and manufactured by a conveyor chain manufacturer to specific dimensions.
What are the applications of a roller chain?
The roller chain has been seen by most people, especially if they grew up with one or two bicycles. The chain used to connect gears to wheels is a drive chain used with sprockets.
However, they can also be used for industrial applications such as the automotive industry and construction.
A drive chain distributor makes larger roller chains for motorcycles, but is often used in the same way as bicycles. However, for newer bikes this is replaced by alternatives such as the V-belt.
In cars, a roller chain is a safe and durable choice for cars where the chain is attached to the engine as a power transmission to drive the camshaft. Again, though, this is more common on older models and is often replaced with timing belts for quieter operation.
They are also seen in forklifts, chainsaws and printing processes.
How can you maintain a roller chain?
Maintaining a roller chain can be as simple as checking the stretch and providing lubrication according to the manufacturer's guidelines.
Units should be inspected regularly for proper chain tension. Chains should be installed with a 2% to 4% sag in the center of the sprocket gap.
You can also use a caliper to measure and check the actual chain pitch versus the original chain pitch. A conveyor chain manufacturer will recommend replacing the chain after 3% elongation. If not, this can be saved and used again.
Although not always necessary, it is recommended to replace the sprockets every time you replace the roller chain. This is because chain wear will cause the sprockets to move upward and will also cause long-term damage to the gears.
There are also ways to extend the life of your roller chains.
What are the signs of wear?
Signs of wear on a roller chain may be noticeable as the chain will have some stretch.
A roller chain should feel secure and not “tight,” as if it were stretchy. This can also be measured with the current drop and pitch as mentioned above. If you are not sure how to measure roller chain stretch, most drive chain distributors and conveyor chain manufacturers will provide a tool called a “chain wear scale.”
Otherwise, if you already have a tool, you can apply the following calculation:
- Extend the roller chain until it is tight
- Using a caliper, measure the distance from the inside of one roll to the outside of the next. Do this a few times in different locations.
- Add these numbers together and divide by the number of times you measured (for example, 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 divided by 4 or 2 + 2 + 2 divided by 3). It presents the average length between the rolls.
- Then, multiply this average length by the number of links in the chain. This will give the true length of the chain.
- Knowing the length of the original chain, you can find the percentage of chain elongation by dividing the actual length by the length of the original chain and multiplying that result by 100.
How do you know when it's time to replace your roller chain?
After the above calculation is completed, the elongation percentage of the roller chain will be displayed. Most conveyor chain manufacturers will state that the elongation rate should not exceed 3% . If it's 3% or higher, it's time to replace the roller chain.
If the roller chain has not been replaced, this may cause the chain to come loose from the sprockets and gears and cause power transmission failure with broken links, which may cause damage to other components of the product.
However, it is also important to check the recommendations of conveyor chain manufacturers and distributors of the product in which the chain is used. For example, on many bikes with high gearing potential, they will only recommend a 0.75% chain stretch before they need to be changed.
