What you need to Know about Chain Conveyors and Food Grade Lubricants
Posted by industrialcomputers01 on December 9th, 2015
A chain is a sequence of traveling bearings with a means to engage the teeth of a cog and transmit motion through force. A conveyor system is a unit of mechanical transport equipment that moves items from point A to point B.
Conveyors and chains are very popular in mass production, especially in the packaging industries. Chain conveyor systems are common in the mass production industry. Chain and conveyor lubricants are essential to attain the maximum service and chain life from a chain drive or conveyor.
Friction creates heat which in turn causes parts to expand, which leads to wear of mechanical parts. Seeing as a majority of chains used in machinery suffer unnecessarily short lives, consider an Automatic chain lubrication System because of its cost effectiveness. It minimizes and limits wear and the subsequent costly complications it manifests. As a matter of fact, proper lubrication will double or even triple your chains’ life.
Quick guidelines for suitable conveyor and chain maintenance
Make sure you implement several routine maintenance checks to enhance efficiency and longevity of the whole system. These tips will help you keep your conveyors and chain running smoothly:
•Examine all movable parts for extreme wear and destruction
•Run diagnostics for any missing components or debris that can disrupt operation
•Remove any unwanted grease and dirt
•Regularly lubricate every necessary components and chains
•Make sure cooling features, such as fan coverings, are always kept clean
•look out for loose or missing fasteners on the conveyor’s or chain’s structure.
In the food processing industries, lubricant cross-contamination is a major concern. Because of this reason, a distinct class of lubricants has been developed - food-grade lubricants.
Food grade lubricants and food grade gear oils are lubricants used in meat, poultry and other food processing equipment. The lubricant types are categorized into groups based on the likelihood of them coming into contact with food. These three designations are labelled as follows:
H1 lubricants are food-grade lubricants used in food processing where there is some likelihood of incidental contact with food. Lubricant formulas may only be composed of one or more permitted base stocks, additives and thickeners (if food grade grease) registered in 21 CFR 178.3750.
H2 lubricants are used on machinery and machine parts in locations where there is no probability that the lubricant or lubricated surface will come into contact with food. H2 lubricants do not have a distinct composition of acceptable ingredients. They must not, however, contain heavy metals like mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, selenium or antimony. Also, the ingredients must not contain components that are mineral acids, mutagens, carcinogens, or teratogens.
H3 lubricants are used to remove and inhibit rust on hooks, trolleys and related equipment.
