The all-important process of lubrication is all about using substances known as lubricants to reduce friction and wear between moving components. Lubrication is a common practice for cars and machines. But did you know that your chain drives and conveyor systems must also be properly lubricated?
Find out every essential information there is about roller chain lubrication and conveyor chain lubrication in this comprehensive guide, covering the following pointers:
– What is chain lubrication?
– The importance of chain lubrication
– How to lubricate chain: Best practices
– Get to know Universal Chains
Chain Lubrication 101
Industrial chain lubrication works generally the same way as other applications of lubrication methods. For instance, a roller chain lube is applied to the tool to ensure smoothness in operations, reduce wear and tear, and expand the machine’s lifespan. A chain lubrication system works for the manufacturing, vehicle, and food-related sectors.
With appropriate practices, your industry can boost its efficiency, reduce the need to maintain operations, lessen the costs, and protect against tough surroundings. There are also various methods used, such as manual and drip lubrication, as well as lubrication using an oil bath, which all depend on the application, scenario, and environment. Let’s elaborate on its importance.
What Happens Without Chain Lubrication?
Chain lubrication using the best roller chain lube, for instance, to drastically slow the wear between a chain joint’s pins and bushings, flush away debris and foreign materials, and smoothen the process of having the chain engaged with the sprocket. Lubrication also helps to inhibit corrosion and rust, carry away heat, and cushion impact forces.
That being said, the lack of proper lubrication, such as not implementing a conveyor chain lubrication system, causes grave problems. When a chain is starved and deprived of the right oil for chain lubrication, wear can worsen, causing erratic action. You don’t want your operations to suffer only because a conveyor loses its proper speed or timing. Insufficient lubrication also causes a harmful rise in temperature.
When Chains Fail
- Tension: Subsequently, tension, fatigue, and wear cause chains to fail. Issues with tensile strength cause overload in tension until the chain gets interestingly stretched so badly. When it does, it won’t function well, and the chain can pull apart.
- Fatigue: With regard to fatigue issues, these happen when the chain is repeatedly loaded in tension as well, at a load lower than the yield strength until tiny cracks develop in link plates or sidebars. These cracks have no choice but to grow until the chain breaks.
- Wear: In a wear failure, sliding, corrosion and abrasion causes it, until the chain simply won’t just function properly or fit in sprockets. Worse, the remaining material becomes so thin the chain can break altogether. Therefore, regular lubrication is a must.
How to Lubricate Chain: Best Practices
It’s really never difficult to understand how to properly lubricate your chains. Here are the best practices:
Know the Right Type of Lubrication
Even if you know exactly how to lubricate your chains, without using the right way, the process won’t work as intended. There are two overarching types of lubrication for chains: manual and automatic.
Manual Lubrication
Under manual lubrication are two sub-types:
- Brush lubrication: Since things are manual, a brush or a similar applicator is used to apply lubricant to the industrial chain. The edge of manual lubrication over others is that you can precisely control the application of your lubricant for the chain. No over-lubrication happens.
- Drip lubrication: In this method, the chain gets dripped with lubricant at particular intervals. The advantage of this method is that it is more cost-efficient than others.
Automatic Lubrication
- Using chain lubrication systems: These are designed to apply an accurate amount of lubricant at regular cycles. This system is preferred in high-speed industrial operations.
- Using centralized lubrication systems: These involve the application of lubricant to various points, including chain lubrication points. What’s good about this is that you can program this system to determine when and how much to apply lubrication. Which type of lubrication method is considered permanent lubricated depends on your needs.
Routine Maintenance and Checking for Binding
Testing conveyor chains for binding is vital to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the chain. Binding also contributes to increased wear, diminished productivity, and potential chain and nearby equipment damage. Here’s a chart to illustrate the steps for this practice:
| Steps | Details |
| Visual Inspection | Visually inspect the whole conveyor chain system. Spot visible signs of misalignment, wear, damage, or foreign objects that might cause binding. |
| Manual Rotation Test | A simple method that will identify problems, such as resistance, uneven movement, catching, and binding. |
| Load Testing | This is used to simulate real operating conditions. However, the load must be evenly distributed along the chain’s length. The chain’s movement under load must also be monitored to spot signs of binding, such as jerky motion. |
| Alignment Check | This verifies every component of the conveyor system, such as sprockets, rollers, guides, and the chain itself if they are properly aligned. |
| Tension Check | This addresses tension, as discussed previously in this guide. |
| Clearance Inspection | Look for adequate clearance between the chain and nearby equipment, as lack of clearance also leads to binding. |
| Pin and Roller Wear | The chain’s pins and rollers should also be inspected. Too much wear also causes binding since the rollers may not smoothly rotate. Repace any worn components when necessary. |
| Material Buildup | Spot buildup to prevent uneven surfaces that cause binding. |
| Conveyor Chain Condition | Examine the overall condition of the conveyor chain. |
| Operational Testing | Run the machine as if it is in actual operation. |
| Thermal Expansion | This avoids temperature fluctuations that may lead to binding. |
With proper lubrication and implementing these steps, you can prevent friction that leads to binding and downgraded performance.
Other Lubrication Best Practices
The rest of the best practices are:
- Using the right lubricant
- Maintaining proper lubricant levels
- Monitoring lubricant conditions
- Applying lubricant evenly
- Ensuring cleanliness during application
Own the Chains That Perform Efficiently
However, no matter how routinely you provide your chain drives and conveyor systems with lubrication, it all boils down to investing in the highest quality tools. For industrial chains that transcend the test of time, take it to Universal Chains, the leader in the Oriental world serving the globe since the 1970s. Our brand develops products for drive and conveyor chains in various shapes and sizes.
What’s more, we also have roller chains that are self-lubricating. This lessens the need to manually apply lubrication, which helps if you need to spend time on other parts of your operations. Own high-performing chains today by contacting our team.
