Chain Conveyor | Drag & Slat Suppliers

The most common problem when using a chain conveyor is excessive wear on the chains. This is generally caused by the chains rubbing against the sidewalls and floor of the conveyor assembly. The increased friction wear on the external components puts additional strain on the rotor and requires the chain to be replaced more frequently than it should. As wear occurs when the conveyor is running, visual inspections should be done frequently during operation. If the chain has been observed to be rubbing then an adjustment should be made as soon as possible.

Chain conveyors are available in a range of different frame materials to suit any work environment. Frame materials available include aluminium, stainless steel, and painted steel. The frame material selected is dependent on industry regulations, application environments and product specifications. For example, settings that handle raw food products must use a stainless steel frame to abide by food handling guidelines.

Chain conveyors have the ability to transport palletised goods. The pallet sits directly on the conveyors' chains and may be a standard or custom size to suit the needs of the operation. This type of conveyor supports a range of pallet materials such as timber, recycled materials, plastic and metal. They also allow pallets to be conveyed in any orientation. This simplifies the loading and unloading process as the baseboards can be orientated parallel or perpendicular to the direction of travel.

It is important to make a number of considerations when buying a chain conveyor. When chosen correctly they have the ability to drastically improve production through rates. When chosen incorrectly they can cause bottlenecks, which ultimately slow production down. Here is a list of useful questions to think about when choosing a chain conveyor:

• What type of product is being conveyed?
• What are the dimensions of the product?
• What is the through rate of the conveyor?
• What is the total weight of all of the products when the conveyor is in use?
• What chain configuration is required?
• How many items will be on the conveyor at any given time?

Standard chain configurations typically run parallel chains that are attached to sprockets at either end and are powered by a rotor. However, heavy materials may require additional chains to keep operations running smoothly and to ensure the rotor is not overworked. Workloads exceeding the machine specifications will reduce the work life and lead to additional maintenance. For this reason, some models offer double or triple chain configurations with additional rotors.

Chain conveyors range in price from $2,000 - $40,000. There are many factors that influence the overall price of a machine. These factors include things like build quality, brand, warranty as well as machine specifications such as chain speed, chain material, chain configuration, flow rate, frame dimensions and frame material.

Chain conveyors are industrial machines that have a number of additional costs that should be considered when buying one. Installation of the chain conveyor may require the workspace to be restructured to accommodate which may impact order fulfilment. It is also important to consider operating costs such as electricity and ongoing maintenance costs. It is important to note that some chain conveyor machines may have higher upfront costs, but are cheaper to run in the long term due to their build quality and motor efficiency.

Chain conveyors improve production productivity across a range of industries and have a variety of applications. This type of conveyor is widely used to transport large goods in a variety of industries such as material handling, metal working, industrial food processing, distribution, packaging and automotive.