Renold makes new 2km of conveyor chain in record time

Renold’s UK chain centre in Manchester has manufactured one of the largest lengths of a customer-specified conveyor chain it has produced so far this year.

According to operations manager, Alec Annand, Renold won the huge order for 1.7km of zinc plated, hollow bearing pin chain on key customer requirements. This included a fast turnaround time, quality, and the ability to produce the chain to a metric pitch size.

From the order being placed, Renold’s UK chain centre was able to manufacture the 1.7km, 100mm pitch, 6,000lb conveyor chain within just eight weeks – a record time for the company.

According to Mr Annand, this is due to the chain centre’s ability to manufacture the chain’s side plates in-house on a 150 tonne power press. The heavy-duty press, with progression tooling, is capable of producing 60 plates a minute from steel coil, a capability, he says, that is unique within the UK chain industry.

Under normal circumstances conveyor chain produced to a customer’s exact specifications would be made from components held in stock, which are nearly always imperial sizes.

Speaking of the order, Mr Annand said: “We’re very proud to have been able to produce such a large chain, with a metric pitch size, zinc coating, and be able to do so in less than eight weeks to the customer’s exact specifications.”

Renold www.renold.com