Roller chains in the food processing industry are used on many conveyor systems. These roller chains are subjected to elements such as live steam, corrosion from the water, heat from cooking, and other processes involved in the food industry.
Normally, stainless steel is the material of construction because of the possibility of rust. 410 stainless steel, heat-treated to 42 Rockwell C, has principally been the material of construction for not only the roller and the pin, but also the bushing. Recently, we have learned from successful tests that the AMPCO® 18 alloy is much superior from the wear standpoint for the bushing material.
The roller in the chain rotates on this bushing on a horizontal conveyor run. The bushing, in turn, oscillates on the pins over the terminal sprockets. The wear should be experienced on the bushing. The AMPCO® 18 material used for the bushings are manufactured in extruded rod or centrifugally casted and are finished machined.
Because of the dissimilarity between AMPCO® 18 and the 410 stainless steel roller and pin, there is no galling or seizure. AMPCO® 18 shows a minimum amount of wear when running against steel.
One of the main problems for roller chain manufacturers is the reduction of the amount of elongation in a chain, because of wear. If the bushing or any part of the chain wears, the chain elongates, and periodically must have links removed.
This can be a bothersome and rather costly situation, which is greatly reduced by using AMPCO® 18 as the bushing material. A typical installation usually requires 7000 bushings.
Our AMPCO® 18, AMPCO® 22, AMPCO® M4 , AMPCOLOY® 940 and AMPCOLOY® 944 alloys are approved for food processing applications.
Do you want to learn more about how companies in the food industry can benefit from AMPCO METAL's range of alloys approved for food processing applications? Get in touch with our technical experts.
