How to tell when a sprocket needs to be replaced
Once conveyor chain sprockets have worn to a certain degree they can cause rapid chain wear and will need to be replaced at the next available opportunity. Replace them too early however and you’ll be incurring unnecessary costs. By examining the faces of the sprocket teeth you should be able to tell immediately whether a sprocket has worn or not.
When sprockets are replaced it is essential that they are properly aligned with the shafts as misaligned sprockets are a common cause of premature chain wear.
When shafts and sprocket tooth faces are accurately aligned, the load is distributed evenly across the entire chain width which helps to achieve maximum service life.
A straight edge, nylon line or laser sight tool should be used across the machined faces of the sprockets in several positions to check for wobble. Once sprockets have been correctly aligned, you should drive the keys home as a final check.
Standard metric sprockets
FB standard metric Conveyor chains sprockets are suitable for:
- DIN 8167 / ISO 1977 M series
- DIN 8165 / ISO1977 FV series
- SMS1968 S series
The sprockets can be manufactured either as conveyor chain plate wheels or as conveyor chain sprockets with a boss on both sides or just one side only.
FB metric conveyor chain wheels are made using specially selected high-grade materials. They can also be manufactured in Hardox with teeth that can be either flame or induction hardened to give superior results in more arduous applications.
Drop forged chain sprockets
We manufacture multi-piece wheels, that are constructed by bolting teeth onto a central hub, for use particularly with FB drop forged conveyor chains. These wheels are CNC machined from specially selected high-grade steel.
FB drop forged conveyor chain sprockets can also be manufactured in Hardox material for greater wear resistance.
Split sprockets
Split sprockets come into their own when the engineering time taken to remove sprockets involves the dismantling of large parts of the drive or when multiple sprockets are fitted on the same shaft.
Conveyor chain sprockets are often large and heavy, and can require the use of a crane, which increases downtime.
Many manufacturers produce this type of product by splitting an existing sprocket and then joining the two sections together again. This often results in a poorly assembled component, with uneven loading in operation and increased wear to the sprocket teeth, bore and keyways.
At FB Chain we manufacture the high-quality sprockets as two separate segments. The two mating sections can then align perfectly to ensure long and trouble-free operation.
FB split sprockets are manufactured from special grade alloy steels. The tooth profiles are CNC machined for close engagement, not flame cut and benefit from localised induction hardening in order for the sprockets to cope with the demanding environments.
We can also add design solutions such as special dirt clearance grooves at the base of each tooth profile to ensure there is little or no build-up of the conveyed material.
FBkc’s innovative split sprocket design is especially useful in high-wear industry applications such as cement and recycling.
Shear pin sprockets
Split sprockets come into their own when the engineering time taken to remove sprockets involves the dismantling of large parts of the drive or when multiple sprockets are fitted on the same shaft.
Conveyor chain sprockets are often large and heavy, and can require the use of a crane, which increases downtime.
Sprockets with induction hardened teeth
The induction hardening of conveyor chain sprocket teeth results in only the localised hardening of the tooth surface which means that FB induction hardened conveyor chain sprockets are specifically hardened in the working area around the individual tooth profile.
To achieve such precision hardening, the applicator coil is only exposed to the tooth profile, while still enabling the bore and other parts to remain soft and ductile.
Hard conveyor chain sprocket bores are well known to cause premature wear on shafts, so by induction hardening only the teeth of our hardened conveyor chain sprockets FB Chain can avoid such difficulties. Our induction hardening will extend your conveyor chain sprocket life, particularly in heavy load drives or severe and abrasive environments.
Anti-clog sprockets
Anti-clog conveyor chain sprockets with self-cleaning grooves can greatly extend both conveyor chain and conveyor chain sprocket life. This is particularly the case in chain conveyor applications where the loose material being moved falls between the conveyor chain roller or bush and the sprocket teeth. Should the conveyed material be abrasive or hard then the need for anti-clog conveyor chain sprockets is even greater.
Single teeth and drum rings
The induction hardening of conveyor chain sprocket teeth results in only the localised hardening of the tooth surface which means that FB induction hardened conveyor chain sprockets are specifically hardened in the working area around the individual tooth profile.
To achieve such precision hardening, the applicator coil is only exposed to the tooth profile, while still enabling the bore and other parts to remain soft and ductile.
