Conveyor Chain Sprockets
What is a sprocket?
Conveyor sprockets are used to transfer power to conveyor chains. Simply put, they are wheels that have teeth that match with a conveyor chain to transmit motion. They come in single, double and up to quintuple formats. Usual specifications for conveyor sprockets are teeth number, bore diameter, hub diameter, outside diameter, length-through bore and weight. Choice of material selection depends on transmission of power and speed, operating temperature, exposure to corrosive environments and noise factors. Where noise is a consideration, plastic hubs are brought into play as they are relatively quiet, but unsuitable for heavy duty applications. Conveyor sprockets with hubs made of stainless steel, or hardened steel are commonplace.
How do know 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.
Where are standard metric sprockets used?
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.
Adjustable sprockets reduce downtime of industrial conveyors
Conveyor system components, from chains to attachments to sprockets, all need to be designed to achieve the optimum balance between durability, resistance to wear and strength.
Conveyor chains are often required to operate in harsh environments making an increased reliance the highest quality materials commonplace. Stringent manufacturing methods are brought into play to avoid unplanned and potentially costly shutdowns.
Find out how the introduction of an adjustable sprocket has provided tangible benefits for a company operating in the pulp and paper industry...Read More
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.
Sprocket solutions to avoid downtime
Cement production, recycling, paper and pulp and biomass are just some of the industries where the working life of a sprocket is often curtailed. Challenging environments rely on the use of industrial chain and components that have the strength and durability to withstand wear on a grand scale.
Here are six conveyor chain sprocket solutions that have been proven to reduce conveyor system downtime, improve productivity and prolong chain life…Read More
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.
FB Chain’s innovative split sprocket design is especially useful in high-wear industry applications such as cement and recycling. 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.
Shear pin sprockets
Conveyors nowadays include electronic load monitoring in the control system, undoubtedly a useful safety feature. While technical engineers recommend these they also recommend that they are used in conjunction with shear pin sprockets. Where there is a slow increase in load, electronic sensing in ideal.as there is time to stop the drive before any damage occurs. In cases of misfeed or mechanical breakage, where the increase of load is sudden, the sensor will not automatically break the connection between the motor and the driven load. This can cause extensive damage to the conveyor chain and its attachments and this is why a shear pin sprocket is also needed.
Shear pin sprockets may be more expensive than standard sprockets, but they work out more cost effective in the long run as they limit downtime and save on chain replacement costs as the shear pin will break and stop the conveyor, thus limiting damage in the event of a malfunction.. Once the load or obstruction has been cleared, only the shear pin needs to be replaced. This means the conveyor can quickly start moving again.
Odds, evens and the life of sprockets and chains
Modern day innovations in conveyor design and technology may be safer and more efficient but in some aspects they are more expensive in the long run.
For instance, how many teeth have your sprockets got? Is it an odd or even number? It does make a difference…Read More
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.
How can I prevent conveyor sprockets from clogging?
Moisture mixed with the material that your conveyor is moving could be causing your sprockets a problem as this mixture causes wear to the sprocket and chain.
There is, however, a cost-effective answer that eradicates the problem using a very simple solution...Read More
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.
