STAINLESS STEEL

CHAINS

The value of a chain is the value of its weakest flight

Introduction
 Why a customer is calling us in order to buy
one of our Stainless Steel chains.
 Which are the reasons making a chain
different from another one.
 Which is the main reason for a chain having
the price it’s.
 If all the chains are the same apparently,
why are so many differences on prices
Previous

 LET’S SEE WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENCES

WE’VE TO TRANSMIT FROM OUR CHAINS
TO THE COMPETITOR’S ONES.

 THOSE DIFFERENCES WOULD GIVE TO

THE END USER THE ADVANTAGES WE
DESCRIBE AS FOLLOWS.
 WHY A CUSTOMER IS
ORDERING A CHAIN
 IF IT’S A MACHINERY MAKER, IT’S ONLY
BECAUSE HE’S MAKING OR REPAIRING A
CONVEYOR.

 IF IT’S AN END USER (BOTTLING), IT’S

USUALLY BECAUSE HE NEEDS TO REPAIR A
CONVEYOR OR TO SUBSTITUTE A CHAIN INTO
AN OLD CONVEYOR. AT BIG COMPANIES THE
TENDENCY IS TO USE THE ORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT GIVEN BY THE CONSTRUCTOR.
WHEN A CHAIN SHOULD BE
SUBSTITUTED
 When due to the friction between the chain and
the carried product there’s a loose of thickness
at the upper part of the chain.
 When due to the friction between the chain and
the sliding guide there’s a loose of thickness at
the bottom part of the chain.
 When the step of the chain has suffered
enlargement, due to:
- Enlargement of the hinge
- Erosion on the hinge.
- Basically erosion at the pin on the central
part.
 WHY THE CHAIN NEEDS
TO BE SUBSTITUTED
 The erosion on the chains and principally
their enlargement produce:
 increase on the sound level
 increase on the electrical consumption
 the chain is jumping over the sprocket
because the real step has changed, which
is in fact producing a loose on speed
 principally canning falling down affecting
to the productivity of the line.

 (it’s accepted as efficient on a technical

service a change between 15% and 20% of
the total chain installed. Information
given by several different end-users)
 DETERMINING FACTORS
JUSTIFYING THE PRICE OF A CHAIN
 QUALITY OF THE STEEL USED FOR
THE FLIGHT
 TRANSVERSE FLATNESS OF THE
FLIGHT
 LARGER CARRYING SURFACE
 WRINKLING AT CARRYING
SURFACE
 QUALITY OF THE PIN STEEL.
 Different Types of
Stainless Steel
 AISI 430 DIN 1.4015 ‘MAGNETIC’ STAINLESS
STEEL:
 The most popular and cheap. Hardness of 17 – 20
HRC, not recommended for high performances or
large maintenance cycles. Due to these inconvenient
AVE is not using this type of Steel.
 AISI 304 – DIN 1.4301 ‘AUSTENITIC’ STAINLESS
STEEL.
 Known as 18/8. Is the most expensive one. It’s used
on applications where FDA standards are required
(food &/or chemical industries). A few producers are
using standard marketed material with thickness 3
mm and aprox. hardness 22 HRC. At AVE, we’re using
an special stainless steel alloy with thickness 3,15 &
flight hardness of 28 , 30 HRC which is being
produced specially for us.
 SSC:
 This alloy, out of Aisi standards, DIN 1.4017 is a
variation of the ferritic stainless steels, offering the
highest performance on high speed bottling/canning
lines. (30 HRC ±2)
 Transverse & Longitudinal
Flatness of the Flight
 It’s impossible to reach
the absolute flatness
 Due to the fact that
mainly on lateral
transferences concavity is
causing bottling falls,
we’ve established as a
standard that we should
never obtain concave
chains.
 The convexity degree
we’ve established as
standard on our
production is much better
than any other one at our
competitors as our
convexity value is the
minimum possible.
Larger Carrying Surface
 When cutting 2 parallel chains on its transversal
way, will see that there’s a real space between both
chains (GAP), much more bigger than the one
supposed (Transversal Step – Chain Width)
 In the case of our competitor chains, as they are
producing the chains with the chamfers at an angle
between 15 & 45º, the only thing they get is
simplifying the chain production.
 However, our chains are made with radius,
minimizing the distance of the chain support
 Our design is offering very important
consequences:
 Reducing the pressure over the flight (which in
fact is a part of the lubrication objectives)
 Reducing the space between parallel chains thus
increasing the stability of the product.
 Wrinkling at Carrying Surface
 The stainless steel finishing quality main aim is to make
easier the product sliding.
 Wrinkling market standards are between 0,6 µm & 0,2 µm
 Self-polishing after more or less time, depending on:
 Product to be transported
 Conveyor type: linear, accumulation, alignment
 Steel Quality
 Original chain wrinkleness
 While the chain is working there’s a self-polishing of the
chain itself, which is made earlier or later, just
depending on the type of product being transported.
 Our competitors are offering different wrinkling types
at different prices.
 AVE is always offering as standard wrinkleness 0,30 µm
(+0 - 0,1 µm ) this is a way to simplify the stock at our
customer warehouses. We make easier the labour of
maintenance departments as well as optimize the
production at the transport lines.
 Quality of the Pin Steel
 Due to the continuous pass of the chain over the
sprockets and idler wheels the pin is suffering erosion
mainly on its central part.
 The erosion at the pin is in direct proportion to the
stress over the chain and its speed, and in opposite
proportion to the conveyor length.
 The highest strength of our pins SS302, allows these
chains having a longest life. (SSS series)
 At the plants where our technical department has
decided to use chains with Template Stainless Steel
Pins, there has not been any case of pin erosion, thus
allowing us to say that AVE chains directly avoid any kind
of problem with pin erosion.
 Up-to-date, and with the available information, only a
few marks offer this possibility as an ‘extra’ to be
noticed, while at AVE, we offer this quality as an
standard at all our chains as it’s showed into our
catalogue: “AISI 420 “ (SSC series)
 All our chains are previously lubricated at origin.
 What is a Customer Paying
when Buying AVE Chains

 The unique chains offering all the

available ‘extras’ on the stainless steel
market chains as standard series.

 Transversal and longitudinal flatness

 Carrying surfaces strength
 Optimized wrinkling.
 Prelubricate and template pins
Why using AVE Chains

 Because of its longer long life

 Because productivity at the lines is increased
 Because energetic consumption is reduced
 Because lubrication needs are reduced