What are the advantages of roller chains

Roller chain is a type of chain drive used to transmit mechanical power. It is widely used in household, industrial and agricultural machinery, including conveyors, plotters, printing presses, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. It is a simple, reliable and efficient power transmission device composed of a series of short cylindrical rollers linked together and driven by a gear called a sprocket.

Roller chain can be made into single-row chain and multi-row chain. When it is necessary to bear a large load and transmit a large power, a multi-row chain can be used, as shown in the figure. A multi-row chain is equivalent to several ordinary single-row chains connected to each other by long pins. Its load-bearing capacity is proportional to the number of rows, but the more rows, the more difficult it is to make the force of each row uniform. Therefore, the number of rows should not be too many. Commonly used are double-row chain and triple-row chain.

Advantages of roller chain transmission: Compared with belt transmission, there is no elastic sliding, it can maintain an accurate average transmission ratio, and the transmission efficiency is higher; the chain does not require a large tension force, so the load on the shaft and bearing is small; it will not slip, the transmission is reliable, the overload capacity is strong, and it can work well under low speed and heavy load. Disadvantages: Both the instantaneous chain speed and the instantaneous transmission ratio are variable, the transmission stability is poor, there are impacts and noises during operation, it is not suitable for high-speed occasions, and it is not suitable for situations where the rotation direction changes frequently.

The length of the roller chain is expressed in the number of links. The number of links is preferably an even number, so that when the chain is connected into a ring, the outer chain plate is just connected to the inner chain plate, and the joint can be locked with a spring clip or a cotter pin. If the number of roller chain links is an odd number, a transition link is required. When the chain is pulled, the transition link also has to bear additional bending loads, and it should usually be avoided.

Roller chains transmit power effectively because they will not slip. The speed ratio is fixed and absolute. The roller chain efficiency is 98%. Under good lubrication, its efficiency is quite good for any load. This efficiency can be maintained throughout the service life. Roller chains are versatile and can still operate effectively in harsh environments such as dirt, oil, and mixed air. A single power source can drive multiple shaft outputs at the same time, and the speed can be adjusted by the size of the ratchet gear.

Roller chains have the ability to absorb vibrations. The chain itself is flexible, and when the oil film is present in each component, it can protect the shaft and motor from impact and strain. It is light in weight and takes up little space. It is narrow in width and can be installed in a very small space. The unit horsepower transmission takes up less space. Roller chains are durable because the load is shared by many teeth on the ratchet gear. Each single gear is subjected to little force, ensuring its life.