How to get the most out of your chain
Like many sectors , the Food Processing industry demands chain that offers the maximum working life with the minimal maintenance downtime . Any downtime , but especially unplanned maintenance , impacts productivity . lubrication would not reach . As the chain cools , surplus lube drains away leaving an oil deposit inside the chain . This initial lubrication of chain is the most important a chain receives and helps to significantly extend wear-life .
Donghua Limited is the UK arm of one of the world ’ s largest chain manufacturers and we share our tips for increasing reliability and getting the most out of your chain .
1 . BUY THE RIGHT CHAIN
You might think that any Conveyor Chain that fits your food processing machinery will work , but it ’ s important to only buy chain that is compatible with the equipment it will be used on . If you ’ re not sure , it ’ s best to check directly with the machine manufacturer .
A quality supplier will stock a range of food chain including plastic inner link Conveyor Chain ( with no roller to wear making this an affordable , long lasting chain ), Stainless Steel Chain suitable for use in high and low temperature conditions , Attachment Chain ( available in a range of coatings , see below ), and Bespoke Chain ( designed to your specific requirements ).
2 . CHAIN LUBRICATION
H1 lubrication is a food grade chain lubricant commonly used in food processing environments when there is the possibility of contact with food . H1 grade lubricant is odourless and tasteless making it ideal for use in food machinery .
We also recommend your chain is hot dipped in lube . This involves dipping chain in a metal vat filled with hot H1 food grade lube . By dipping the chain completely , the lubricant penetrates into bearing areas which standard
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3 . PRE-LOADING CHAIN
Pre-loading ( pre-stretching ) chain helps to reduce fatigue and extends the wearlife of chain , and especially in-house built Attachment Chain . Chain that has little or no pre-load applied will suffer significant initial elongation when first used , and will ultimately need to be changed sooner .
4 . MATCHING CHAIN
When two chains are used in parallel on machines , it ’ s particularly important to ensure the chain is matched to within close tolerances of each other in order to maintain high accuracy along the entire length of chain .
5 . COATINGS
Speak to your chain supplier about special alloy coatings which can protect the chain against corrosion caused by wash-down procedures .
Donghua chain is compatible with the leading food equipment manufacturers , and has quickly become the chain of choice for companies in the food processing industry . Produced to very narrow tolerances , chain from the same production batches are on average within 1 / 3 DIN standards . Our UK inhouse chain length measuring machine means production tolerances can be even further improved .
Our Universal Attachment Chain is popular because it replaces 99 % of other manufacturer ’ s chain . It is available in standard , nickel plated , self-lubricating and stainless steel finishes and , along with all our Food Chain , is hot-dip lubricated as standard .
Our Food Chain is supplied through a growing network of Product Partners , Stockists and Distributors . To find out more about our Food Chain , visit www . donghua . co . uk / food-industry /