A Complete Guide for Maintaining Conveyor Chains

The conveyor chain is the most common transmission chain because it needs to carry out a large number of operations for a long time, and it is easy to be contaminated with oil. We need to clean and lubricate in time. The specific maintenance method of the conveyor chain is as follows.

(1) Most of the conveyor chains are exposed during use, which is easy to accumulate dust, sand, and grease, and need to be cleaned frequently.

(2) The chain may not be disassembled during cleaning, or the chain may be disassembled for thorough cleaning. Thorough cleaning is to remove the chain and soak it in a cleaning agent (gasoline or kerosene) for a certain period of time, then brush it section by section with a brush. After cleaning, immerse the chain in 70～80℃ lubricating oil and fill it with oil before installing and using it.

(3) If the friction surface of the conveyor chain in use is brown or dark brown, the oil supply is generally insufficient, and lubricating oil should be filled in time. The quality of the chain lubrication will directly affect the service life of the chain.

(4)To lubricate the chain, it is best to use special chain lubricants or No. 30 and No. 40 mechanical oils, and SAE90 gear oils can also be used instead.

(5)When replacing a new chain, it should be noted that the chain has two packaging forms when it leaves the factory: one is wax-sealed, and the other is pre-lubricated. The so-called pre-lubrication means that the chain is soaked in lubricating oil before leaving the factory.

The above two processes are mainly for preventing rust and facilitating storage. The latter can be installed and used directly after opening the package, while the former should be waxed first, cleaned with diesel oil, and re-immersed in oil.

(6) When injecting lubricating oil, it is not only necessary to inject the oil on the surface of the chain, but also to let the oil soak into the gap between the pivot and the inner and outer chain plates, so as to achieve the purpose of lubrication.

(7) After filling the oil, wipe off the excess oil drops with a dry cloth. When cleaning and oiling the chain, the engine must be turned off first, otherwise, there is a danger of fingers being twisted into the sprocket, causing unnecessary injury.

(8) When installing the conveyor chain, its loose edge should have a proper initial sag. The initial sag is about 1% to 2% of the center distance of the sprocket. And make the front and rear axles and the rear suspension axles in a straight line, then the chain is just at the theoretical longest value.

(9) When adjusting the chain, the normal tension of the chain should be satisfied when the chain is in the position of three axes and one line. If the chain is too tight, it will cause poor transmission, increase power consumption, accelerate the wear of the chain and sprocket, and easily break the chain, or even cause an accident. When the chain is too loose, it will make an abnormal noise, increase the vibration, and cause the risk of falling.

As an expert who has studied conveyor chains for many years, ZMIE can give you some professional advice to a certain extent. If you want to get more information about the conveyor chain, you can get a comprehensive solution by contacting us.

As an experienced quality chain supplier, ZMIE has become a leader in the industry with its excellent manufacturing technology and considerate service, and many customers choose ZMIE for this reason. We are equipped with a professional production team and a strict quality inspection system to fully control the quality of our products. In addition, we can also provide a thoughtful one-stop service according to the needs of users. If you want to buy our conveyor chain, please contact us immediately!