Sprockets and chain application

The chain and sprocket are important parts of mechanical transmission. Please note the following points during the application procedure of the chain and sprocket:

1.Pay attention to the parallelism of the front and rear axles and the coplanarity of the sprocket. To a large extent, the performance of the chain depends on the installation way of its front and rear axles and also the sprocket. The specific installation requirements are: the parallelism of the front and rear axles should be within 1/300, and the coplanarity of the front and rear wheels should be between 0.5-1.0 mm.

2.The tension of the chain. For horizontal and inclined transmission with adjustable center distance, the verticality of the loose edge of the chain should be around 2% of the center distance. The centerline should be kept vertical transmission or subjected to vibration load, and the reverse transmission should result in a more tensioned chain.

3.The coordination between chain and sprocket. If they two could not work well with each other, it may lead to the chain running unsmoothly and wearing out, and the pitch might be extended too. The chain needs to be replaced in time if there is tooth skipping. The worn-out sprocket needs to be replaced in time to avoid any possible damage to the new chain.

4.The shaking of the chain. The reasons for the chain shaking are: the chain is too loose, the load is too heavy, or one or more chain links are inflexible. The solution could be installing a chain tensioner or adjusting the center distance, or even reducing the load if possible.

5.Pins out of work is usually caused by insufficient oil supply. If only one end is glued, then the installation of the shaft and the sprocket needs to be checked: whether the shaft is parallel; whether the sprocket is coplanar; and whether the shaft and sprocket will move during the operation.

6.The wear of sprocket teeth. If there is obvious wear on both sides of the sprocket teeth, the reason should be the transmission is not aligned properly. The excessive wear can be found out if “curved grooves” occur. It means that the chain and sprocket need to be replaced. The other solution is to reverse the sprocket in order to make the lighter-wearing side face the chain.