5 Steps to Design a Roller Chain

5 Steps to Design a Roller Chain

Summary

To achieve a good transmission effect, the roller chain must be reasonably designed. This article will specifically introduce the five design steps of a roller chain.

5 Steps to Design a Roller Chain
the five design steps of a roller chain

In the process of designing the roller chain, the size and distance of each accessory should be rationally designed according to the speed of the chain drive and the actual situation, otherwise, there will be some failures in future use. The following are the five design steps of a roller chain.

1. Determine the number of sprocket teeth

The small number of teeth z1 of the small sprocket can reduce the outline size, but the number of teeth is too small, it will cause the following problems.

(1) The unevenness of transmission and the increase of dynamic load.

(2) When the chain enters and exits the meshing, the relative rotation angle between the chain links increases, and the wear of the hinge increases.

(3) The circumferential force of the roller chain drive increases, which accelerates the damage of the chain and sprocket.

Increasing the number of teeth of the small sprocket is beneficial to the transmission, but if z1 is selected too large, the number of teeth of the large sprocket Z2 will be greater. In addition to increasing the size and quality of the transmission, it is also prone to tooth skipping and chain disconnection, which will make the chain live. reduce. The range of the number of sprocket teeth is 17≤z≤120.

The number of teeth of the small sprocket can be selected according to the chain speed. Since the number of chain links is usually an even number, in order to consider the uniform wear, the number of teeth of the small sprocket should generally be an odd number.

2. Determine the calculated power

The calculated power is determined based on the transmitted power, taking into account the nature of the load and the type of prime mover.
                 
3. Select the pitch of the roller chain

The larger the pitch of the roller chain, the higher the load-bearing capacity, but the polygonal effect of the transmission will also increase, and the more severe vibration, shock, and noise will be. Therefore, a single-row chain or multi-row chain with a small pitch should be selected as much as possible when designing.

4. Reasonably determine the center distance and the number of chain links of the chain drive

If the center distance of the chain drive is too large or too small, the transmission will be adversely affected. In the design, the center distance a0=(30~50)p is generally taken, and the maximum is a0max=80p.

When the center distance is too small and the chain speed remains the same, the number of chain revolutions per unit time increases, and the number of chain bending and stress cycles increases, which intensifies the wear and fatigue of the chain pitch. At the same time, due to the small center distance, the wrap angle of the chain on the small sprocket becomes smaller. Within the wrap angle range, the load on each gear tooth increases, and the phenomenon of tooth skipping and chain disconnection is prone to occur.

If the center distance is too large, it will cause the driven side to sag too much and cause loose side vibration during transmission. Therefore, in the design, if the center distance is not restricted by other conditions, generally a0=(30~50)p can be selected.
              
5. Determine the maximum diameter of the small sprocket hub hole

According to the pitch and number of teeth of the small sprocket, determine the maximum diameter dkmax of the sprocket hub hole from the sprocket hub hole diameter table. If dkmax is less than the shaft diameter where the sprocket is installed, the chain drive parameters should be reselected (increase z1 or p).

The design of the roller chain is related to the performance of the entire chain drive, and there are also many more detailed parts that need attention. If you still have doubts about the design of the roller chain after reviewing the above content, you can contact us to get a professional solution.

With excellent design technology and high-quality products, we have become one of the leading quality chain suppliers. We have an experienced manufacturing team that conducts comprehensive quality inspections from product design to export. We can also formulate effective solutions according to the actual needs of customers. If you are interested in our roller chains, please contact us immediately!