Engineering components provider BMG’s power transmission division has launched the new Tsubaki Titan chain series, which offers “significant improvements” in wear-life in demanding applications.

“Selecting the right chain for every job is critical, especially in harsh conditions, where dust and abrasive particles infiltrate moving parts and significantly shorten the lifetime of a standard chain,” says Tsubaki product manager Gavin Kirstein. This damage, he explains, results in high costs because of downtime, production losses, replacement parts and labour.

He adds that the Tsubaki Titan chain, which offers “previously unobtainable wear-life in harsh conditions”, combines key features of the existing premium Tsubaki GT4 Winner chain with new specifications that have been designed to deliver extended wear performance.

“Advanced design features for the Titan series not only extend the service life of the chain but also reduce maintenance costs and minimise downtime. Another advantage is the reduced frequency of swapping out [an] old chain, which contributes to a significant reduction in the total cost of ownership.”

An important feature of Tsubaki Titan chain is the use of seamless bushes that incorporate lube grooves. These bushes, which are precision-made and perfectly cylindrical, ensure the smoothest possible operation to help minimise wear.

The specially designed lube grooves also ensure that oil is retained at the point of contact, where the chain needs it most. This limits the wear between pin and bush, significantly improving the wear life.

Additionally, Tsubaki Titan pins have a special surface coating that provides an extra hard, yet low-friction surface, further extending service life.

For this new series, the Tsubaki development team has specified corrosion-resistant, nickel-plated outer link plates, which are used in combination with black oxide inner link plates, to provide an additional layer of protection against corrosion.

Tsubaki has also incorporated its reliable ring coin technology, which overcomes the problem of typical standard slip-fit connecting links that are usually weaker than other links. The process of ring-coining the connecting links ensures that the chain can be specified up to its full load capacity.

“Standard Tsubaki Titan chain is available from BMG in sizes from 12B to 32B. Additional sizes, multistrand and attachment options will be available on request,” Kirstein says.

Typical applications of this series include abrasive and dusty conditions, such as those found in timber mills, brickworks, mining and metal working, as well as in sugar and paper processing.

All Tsubaki chain products are manufactured with appropriate materials, coatings and lubrications, and undergo a seamless production process to ensure dimensional accuracy, constant geometry, high surface quality and a long service life.

“BMG is the only company in the world – outside of the Tsubaki organisation – with accreditation to provide a specialist assembly service for Tsubaki chain products. The company has a dedicated facility at BMG World in Johannesburg, in Gauteng, where special attachment chains are assembled to exact requirements and delivered in less than one week.”

Customers can specify a range of standard Tsubaki attachments on any suitable American or British chain product of up to 50 m in length, adds Kirstein.

Additional Products

The Workhorse elevator series, which offers enhanced strength and reliability, a cleaner environment and extended operating life forms part of the Tsubaki high-performance chain.

Workhorse elevator chains are designed to resist the abrasive and demanding forces of aggregate elevators.

This chain is particularly well suited for use in aggressive bulk materials handling environments with harsh fine particulates such as cement, lime, gypsum, coal, fertilizer, grain and sugar, says BMG power transmission division business unit manager Carlo Beukes.

“Carefully selected high-strength steels, advanced manufacturing processes and refined heat treatments ensure maximum fatigue strength and protection against failure, even when these chains are used in the most severe applications.”

The Workhorse 5 800 and 5 900 series, with average tensile strength ratings of between 65 909 kg and 129 545 kg, can be upgraded with various plated pins, bushings and joint seals to ensure dependability and enhanced wear-resistance.

An important feature of this series is that extended bushing barrier seals prevent abrasive materials from entering and attacking chain joints. The chain bushings are extended beyond the inside sidebars to minimise the clearance between the outside bars and the bushings.

Beukes notes that this, in turn, creates a solid barrier that inhibits abrasive material from entering the pin/bushing joint.

Subsequently, the wide-face seal, which is manufactured from a high-temperature engineered polymer, encircles the extended bushing and provides an additional particulate-resistant barrier to help protect the joint, thus minimising contamination.

Moreover, a patented stainless steel internal ring seal holds tight onto the pin and rotates within a groove in the bushing to create a labyrinth to prevent debris from getting into the pin/bushing area.

Workhorse chains are manufactured by power transmission equipment and components manufacturer Tsubaki, which is based in the US, and are generally available from BMG throughout Southern Africa, within six weeks after receipt of order.

This, says Beukes, makes planning a lot easier for plant maintenance.