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Selector software finds chain solutions

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Aug 14, 2008

Renold has brought together all its high-tech chain products under the banner of Solutions Products to make it easier for customers to find a chain that will solve problems.

One of the most popular downloads from the Renold Chain website is a free chain selector that takes the hit and miss out of specifying the right size and type of chain, and a troubleshooter guide in PDF format.

So says the company's UK sales director, John Probert, who links this interest to a growing move by Britain's engineers to strip cost from manufacturing and increase the efficiency of production lines.

"There's more pressure now than ever to find ways to make chain last longer", Probert explains.

"Engineers are looking for longer lasting chain and chain that might require less maintenance".

"Energy prices are hurting and one way to claw something back is to cut downtime, reduce the frequency of component replacements, and maintenance".

On some production lines downtime can cost GBP 50,000 an hour and if machinery is being turned off regularly to replace a drive chain that has suffered from premature failure, wear or corrosion then there's a significant saving to be had if the chain can be made to last five or six times longer, or possibly more.

According to Probert, engineers are really starting to look at their chain drives to identify problems or to look for a longer lasting chain solution.

That's why Renold has brought together all of its high-tech chain products under the banner of Solutions Products to make it easier for customers to find a chain that will solve problems and last longer on their application.

"We've saved companies some really serious money in man hours, downtime and component replacement costs", says Probert.

"In some cases we've supplied chain that has lasted over six times longer than what was being used before, so just imagine how that adds up in terms of recovered downtime".

The Solutions Products range is spearheaded by Renold's high performance Synergy chain, which is solving problems all around the world on applications where companies are suffering from short wear life and unacceptably high levels of downtime to replace worn out chain.

On some applications Synergy has slashed chain replacements from once a month to once a year, and one American customer recently described Synergy's performance as "astonishing".

The Solutions Products range also includes Syno, a chain that requires no lubrication, and, uniquely to Renold, this includes a polymer bush version for arduous, heavy-duty and outdoor applications.

There is a range of stainless-steel chain for applications where corrosion might be a problem, such as in the food industry.

Another Solution Product is Klik-Top polymer block chain for conveying applications.

Unlike other, similar, products Klik-Top chain has no sharp edges coming into contact with conveyed goods and the polymer blocks can be clicked on and off individually without the need to remove the whole chain from the application.

The Solutions Products range also includes Sovereign chain for abrasive applications where there are significant amounts of dust and debris that would cause a standard specification chain to wear rapidly.

Finally there is Renold's Hydro-Service chain, which has been treated with a series of coatings to protect against corrosion.

So effective is the Hydro-Service anticorrosion treatment that chain treated with it will resist corrosion up to 30 times longer than a standard carbon steel chain, but has the same working load capabilities as standard steel.

Renold's free chain selector software and its troubleshooter guide can be downloaded, without even the need for registration, from the company's website.

Once there click on the "support" tab and choose either the troubleshooter or the chain selector.