Wear-resistant bulk material conveyor components manufacturer HEKO components, which are manu­factured in Germany, “enhance” technical solutions provider BMG’s extensive range of chain products, explains BMG power trans­mission division business unit manager Carlo Beukes.

HEKO has appointed BMG as an offi­cial distributor of the HEKO conveyor com­ponents, including round link chains, in Southern Africa.

Beukes notes that, through the supply and support of HEKO products, BMG boosts its solutions service to its broad customer base, by optimising the efficiency of bulk material conveyor systems.

He adds that round link chains are sig­nificant to the South African market and have been developed by HEKO for bucket elevators and chain conveyors. “These components are suitable for use in various sectors, including mining and quarrying, cement, chemicals and incinerating plants, paper production, food and beverage, as well as artificial manure and general machine industries.”

HEKO chains – known globally for high fatigue strength and close length tolerance of chain pairs – are manufactured from dur­able materials, including manganese, chrome-nickel and fine grain chrome-nickel alloy steels. Beukes explains that advanced com­puter-controlled heat-treatment processes are employed to produce the tempered or case-hardened chains.

An advantage of case hardening includes “a 
high breaking load, resulting from a tough, fine grain core and high wear-resistance, from a minimum Vickers Hardness of 800”.

In addi­tion to six standard hardening depths, he adds that BMG also offers HEKO products with hardening depths to suit specific requirements.

“The HEKO range comprises round steel chains, bucket and scraper attachments, chain wheels, buckets and shafts, as well as complete return and tensioning units. Heat-resistant ring kiln chains for rotary kilns also form part of the range.”

Beukes concludes that BMG’s national branch network offers a technical advisory ser­vice on correct chain selection, which is a criti­cal factor in power transmission systems.