Posted to News on 22nd Jan 2014, 14:10
Drive and attachment chains for packaging manufacturers
Technological innovation is currently seen as a major driving force towards achieving improved efficiency, and therefore improved overall performance, in the packaging industry. The manufacture of tubes, cans, bottles etc. is a huge sector; as is the business of filling them. There are many companies involved in this side of the packaging industry and many potential products, from aerosols and pharmaceuticals to food and beverage, but one thing is for sure, they can all benefit from improved reliability in their production lines.
Across a number of industries the use of metal and plastic tubes is commonplace. In pharmaceutical, food and beverage as well as industrial products, we all use them, every day; from cleaning our teeth in the morning to moisturising at night and sealing the bathroom tiles at the weekend, there is no escape from this most versatile of packaging format.
Many of the production processes involved in the manufacture, filling and packaging of these metal and plastic containers involve the use of drive and attachment chains, which provide the essential connection in maintaining the flow of materials. The reliability of these chains is paramount and ensuring that they are correctly specified for a particular application and environment is crucial to the overall performance and reliability.
One company that specialises in such applications is Tsubaki. With a wide product offering which is available as direct replacement for BS or ANSI specification chain, Tsubaki has a number of innovative and reliable designs for drive, conveyor or attachment applications which meet pharmaceutical as well as food and beverage industry standards.
Rather than accepting that some environments are very hard wearing on chain and short life-spans are inevitable, Tsubaki has bucked the trend for offering economy products by developing well-engineered products which last many times longer than the industry standard in most conditions. This increased reliability reduces maintenance, replacement and downtime costs significantly, improving the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
Products include the Lambda lube-free roller chain, which uses a special oil-impregnated sintered bush to provide long-term internal lubrication for excellent wear resistance and attachment chain with extended pins or a combination of both. There are dozens of different attachment designs available as standard which fit the majority of standard Tsubaki chains, as well as a design service for bespoke attachment chain requirements.
Reducing maintenance costs and improving productivity is key to delivering company objectives, and this can be achieved by ensuring the production facility is equipped properly for the task. Further information about drive and attachment chains can be found by visiting the Tsubaki website at tsubaki.eu/chain.
