CHAINS
INNOVATION IN MOTION
TSUBAKI
WHEN INCREASED PROFIT IS A CHAIN REACTION
The performance of existing plant and
machinery can sometimes be markedly
improved by the simplest of modifications,
such as retrofitting a better quality
transmission chain. Greg Sharp of Tsubaki UK
expands on the concept and looks at some
real-world examples where productivity and
profitability gains were achieved.
It is easy to take transmission and conveyor
chain for granted. Often viewed as a
commodity product, it's easy to overlook
the demands and stresses placed on each
link during operation. The effects of impacts,
misalignment, harsh conditions or poor
maintenance can quickly lead to wear or
damage, which can result in lost production
hours.
This creates an interesting opportunity:
why not consider using a high quality or
specialist replacement chain that will lead to
better overall machine performance?
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PECM Issue 33
An interesting point to bear in mind here
is that when the machine was originally
built, whether by an in- house team or by an
external OEM, there will have been a budget
to meet. It is entirely possible that the chain
fitted at that time was procured on price
rather than optimal suitability for the job in
hand. Replacement of that chain with one
better suited to the duty could therefore
prove extremely beneficial.
A replacement chain could be better from
a number of different stand points. For
instance, a lube free chain could provide
a fit and forget alternative to standard,
externally lubricated chain. While this may
seem like a minor saving, across even a
modest sized plant you could be saving
several man hours a week, plus the constant
cost of buying in more lubricant. Lube free
chain also significantly reduces the risk of a
cat astrophic failure caused by accidentally
missing out a lube point or two or by using
the wrong oil.
Due to environmental challenges many
chains have to be replaced regularly. In such
instances it is tempting to specify budget
chains in order to reduce costs.
However, an alternative is to actively seek
out a better quality chain that would last
longer.
It is not unusual to double or quadruple
chain life by upgrading to a product that
is optimally suited to the work load and
environmental conditions, and some fairly
simple calculations will allow you to quantify
the overall savings.
Another possibility for achieving cost
savings with a retro-fit chain is where
attachments are fitted to the new chain
so that it becomes a bespoke component
ideally suit to the job in question.
In this case, it is difficult to generalise as each
application will be unique, so let us look at
the following example.