Lubrication for chains

Chains are made up of a series of moving links put together and is widely used in the transmission of power in machines. As it is a tensile element, it generates friction and is subjected to constant tensile stress. To reduce friction and premature wear, it is important to lubricate the chain properly, so that it has a useful service life, while at the same time saving energy, because by reducing friction we also reduce the energy consumption used.

Why can chains fail?

• Elongation: stretching of the chain usually occurs because the elements that be part  have friction between them and therefore wear at their ends, causing the pitch between the links to become increasingly distant and at the same time causes  that the rollers to mount on the sprocket teeth, hindering movement. This can be reduced with correct lubrication, but to do this we must ensure that the lubricant gets the right amount into the elements. Often when lubricate the chain, only the outside of the chain is lubricated, but it is important that the lubricant arrive to every elements.
• Fatigue: Repeated stress loading of the chain close to its maximum allowable load limits the chain’s elasticity, creating tiny cracks and increasing the cracks until the chain breaks.
• Wear: The material of the chain deteriorates due to friction, abrasion, corrosion, and poor maintenance so that it does not fit perfectly with the teeth of the sprockets, causing a malfunction.

We can minimize the wear on the chains if we have a good maintenance of these. To do this we need to have a good lubrication system to grease them and avoid frictional wear between the gears.

How to remedy wear failure?

It must be in mind that the manufacturer’s initial lubrication is not permanent. Proper lubrication increases their useful life up to double time. If the chains are not properly lubricated, this not only causes problems for the chains, but the elongation or stretching causes the chains to become out of sync with the drive element, resulting in a malfunction. It also increases the energy consumed by the motor that transmits the power to the movement, causing the temperature to rise and potentially damaging it.

What do we achieve with the necessary lubrication?

• Eliminate wear between the pieces.
• Inhibit corrosion.
• Eliminate negatives particles of material that can contaminate the chain, causing increased friction and premature wear.
• Eliminate heat from unnecessary friction.
• Reduce energy consumption.
• Reduce noise.
• Absorb impact force.
• Reduce costs due to premature repairs and unnecessary downtime.
• Avoid costs due to product damage as lubricated chains provide greater stability of the containers or products.
• Increased productivity
• Increased useful life of components.
• Optimize environmental protection.

Which system to use for chains lubrication?

Our lubetools system or minimum lubrication system has an oil reservoir that lubricates all necessary points of the chain by means of nozzles that spray the lubricant with the help of air. The lubetools system has been designed to replace the traditional lubrication system, avoiding excess oil. The lubricant is dispensed from the pneumatic pump and is conveyed to the nozzle where it mixes with the air without creating a mist, and protecting the environment.

Lubrication is automatic, so there is no need for an operator doing maintenance tasks, you only must check that the tank is always full, and this can be controlled by a level indicator signal that can be transformed into an alarm when there is a lack of lubricant. In this way, productivity is increased, because the risk of unwanted stoppages due to breakdowns is eliminated.

The advantages of this system are:

• • Reduced lubricant consumption
  • Possibility to regulate the dosing frequency and the quantity of lubricant.
  • Reduced downtime of the machinery
  • Reduced costs for broken or wear down parts
  • Clean and safe environment
  • Reduced operator maintenance costs
  • Increased service life of tools
  • Programming of the duration of the working time
  • Increased tolerance for machine capacity
  • Increased productivity

 In which applications can this system be used?

If you manufacture or have any of these applications, we recommend using this type of lubrication system.

•  Scalators.
• Conveyor belts for steel coils
• Conveyor belts for sorting, cleaning, cooking and pasteurisation of fruit and vegetables.
• Luggage conveyor belts
• Conveyor belts for building materials
• Handling conveyor belts
• Paper roller conveyors
• Floor conveyor belts in the automotive industry
• Conveyor belts for bakery or similar industrial ovens
• Conveyor belts for wood processing
• Mineral wool processing
• Conveyor belts for car body pre-treatment painting process
• Oven/dryer chains in all kinds of industries (food processing, building materials, wood, etc.)
• Chains in machinery for the textile industry
• Ovens and processes for food and drinks.
• Paint ovens for general industry

If you are interested in knowing more about this system or need to ask us which one is the most suitable for you, do not hesitate to contact us!  we are here to advise you.