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Written by REM
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Renold lubrication-free chain
Renold Chain has developed a high-temperature version of its lubrication-free Syno chain for operating in temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius. Syno features a high-tech sintered bush that releases just the right amount of lubricant, within the chain, during operation, says the company. The high-temperature version of Syno uses a specially formulated lubricant that works perfectly within the sintered bush and is able to withstand high-temperature environments, says the company.
Syno chain has been designed for applications where lubrication is undesirable or where access to the chain for maintenance is difficult. High-temperature Syno extends the range of applications that may now benefit from a lubrication-free chain and has been used successfully in drying ovens and other industrial environments where heat is a factor, says the company.
In other news, Renold launched a new version of Smartlink, the company's preventive maintenance technology, which can be installed and operated either by maintenance engineers or OEMs. Previous versions of Smartlink had to be installed and monitored by Renold's own engineers. The system was difficult to use and the battery only lasted for a few hours.
Now Smartlink can be owned and operated by anyone, bringing the benefits of preventive maintenance to a much wider range of applications. The new system is easier to use, more robust and can be switched on for months. This allows for long condition monitoring of the chain.
The new Smartlink devices are supplied already fitted to a section of chain; users simply install the new chain link and Smartlink is ready to go. The units are available for operation on one-inch, 1 1/4-inch and 1 1/2-inch pitch chains with larger sizes and conveyor chain options soon available. They're remotely controlled with a choice of two hand-held devices.
"This launch represents a breakthrough in predictive maintenance technology and brings the benefits of Smartlink to a much wider range of engineers," says David Turner, Renold Chain's marketing communications manager. "The new Smartlink units provide an opportunity to understand system loads, which may be detrimental to the performance of a product or the operation of machinery."
www.renoldcanada.com
Tsubaki offers help to users
To maximize the performance of industrial chain requires users to do their homework. The folks at Tsubaki of Canada Ltd. have published "The Complete Guide to Chain," which offers a toolbox of helpful tips. When trying to determine how your chain will work in different environments, Tsubaki recommends a variety of tips to help you on the job. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Use in abrasive conditions
Strong abrasive materials, such as sand, coke, metal particles or substantial amounts of dust in the air, may affect the wear life of a chain. The particles may get into the chain's working and engaging parts between the chain and sprockets. In this case, you can take these steps:
1. Select a chain with hardened working parts. The parts need to be harder than the foreign objects; and
2. Reduce the bearing pressure by using a larger-size chain. This increases the abrasion-wear area.
If you're operating conveyor chains in abrasive conditions, consider the following points:
1. Select a chain with thicker bushings to increase the abrasion-wear area;
2. Design the system, so that the plates slide on the rails rather than roll on them. The bottom edge of the plate may accept much more abrasion wear than the area between the bushings and rollers;
3. Install many small rollers in the equipment instead of rails. This is especially useful when conveying objects that cause significant wear.
In addition to causing wear, some objects may get into the working clearances of the chain, making it difficult or impossible for the chain to bend or rotate. In such cases, take the following steps:
1. Use seals, such as oil, labyrinth or O-ring seals, to prevent particles from getting into the chain (applicable size is limited);
2. Install a grease nipple and grease the chain regularly. Grease will force the particles from the chain (applicable size is limited);
3. Increase the clearances, so that particles will fall out (even if they get into the chain). This is the most common method.
For more information on chain, visit www.tsubaki.ca.
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