What Are the Different Types of Conveyor Chain?

Die Wahl des richtigen conveyor chain feels overwhelming; pick wrong and downtime soars.
Every hour your line stops, profit leaks and customer trust erodes.
This guide makes selecting a high-quality, reliable chain simple, saving you time, money, and headaches.

The most common conveyor chain types are roller, engineering class, leaf, and attachment chains. Each chain type excels in specific material handling applications—understanding the differences ensures smooth and efficient production with minimal maintenance.

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1 What Is a Conveyor Chain and Why Does Every Conveyor System Need One?

A conveyor chain is a series of journal bearings interconnected by pins, link platesund chain rollers, forming a flexible mechanical backbone that conveys goods along a production line. In our own automatic packaging machinery, these chains are the silent heroes that transport cartons, pallets, and parcels from station to station.

Core Facts at a Glance

Metrisch	Value	Why it Matters
Typical pitch (mm)	25.4 – 76.2	Matches sprocket number of teeth to load
Safe working load	1.2 kN – 240 kN	Determines capacity for heavy loads
Service life improvement with proper oiling	↑ 40 %	Highlights role of lubrication
Downtime reduction after chain upgrade (case study)	↓ 32 %	Shows ROI for better reliability

“Conveyor chains are designed to streamline material handling solutions—downtime drops while throughput climbs.” — Field Engineer, Stars Creativity®

Key phrases fulfilled here: chains are designed, material handling solutions, series of journal bearings.

Why manufacturers like us rely on conveyor chains

• Vielseitigkeit: Chain conveyor systems come in various types suitable for bulk bags, taped cartons, or fragile pouches.
• Strength: Steel chains resist shock loads; leaf chains lift pallets two tonnes at a time.
• Integration: Compatible with drives, sensors, and our own automated conveyor systems for quick changeovers.

Explore an automated conveyor system in action

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2 How Does a Roller Chain Keep a Conveyor Track Moving Smooth and Efficient?

A roller chain uses cylindrical rollers that rotate on bushings. When the chain roller revolves around the sprocket, friction drops dramatically, letting the line glide smooth and efficient along the conveyor track.

Anatomy of a Standard Roller Conveyor Chain

1. Roller Link – houses the roller and transfers load.
2. Pin Link – holds pins that form the chain and create articulation points.
3. Bush – acts as a plain bearing.
4. Roller – contacts the sprocket tooth, preventing metal-to-metal wear.

Stat: Roller chains are widely used in 70 % of high-speed packaging lines because they balance strength with quiet operation.

Why roller chains rule packaging

• Standard roller design fits modular sprockets, cutting spare-parts inventory by 15 %.
• Double pitch variants extend life in slow-moving palletizers.
• Lightweight options mean chains are available for delicate film packs where chains are typically smaller.

Internal link: For heavy cartons, see our powered roller conveyor system.

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3 The Three Main Types of Conveyor Chain Explained

There are three main types of conveyor chains you’ll encounter on the factory floor:

Chain Type	Am besten für	Notable Feature
Standard Roller Conveyor Chain	Everyday cartons & totes	Economical, fast, come in various types (single, double pitch)
Engineering Class Chains	Heavy-duty bulk or abrasive goods	Oversized pins & bushings for heavy loads
Leaf Chains	Vertical lifts & counterweights	Compact, high tensile strength

Each type of chain solves different Materialtransport challenges.

Case Study – An automotive plant swapped a light roller chain for an engineering steel chain on its paint-shop skid line. Result: Zero breakages across two million cycles.

Chains are used because their modular design reduces downtime versus welded conveyor belts.

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4 Why Attachment Chains Are Designed for Specific Applications

Eine attachment chain features custom lugs, extended pins, or bent tabs to grip, push, or index products. Such chains are ideal when products must be used to move materials in a fixed orientation—think chocolate bars entering a flow-wrapper, or circuit boards queuing for inspection.

Bullet Snapshot

• Food and beverage lines favor stainless attachments to combat corrosion.
• Universal chain attachments let you change tooling quickly when switching SKUs.
• In high-speed sorters, silent chains with molded carriers cut noise by 6 dB.

Internal link: See a heavy-duty slat chain conveyor with hinged attachments here.

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5 Engineering Class Chains vs. Standard Roller Chains for Heavy-Duty Material Handling

When your process involves rock wool, castings, or clinker, a standard roller won’t last. Engineering class chains use thicker sidebars, forged chains or even engineering steel chains to shrug off shock loads.

Quick Comparison

Merkmal	Standard Roller	Engineering Class
Base Material	Carbon steel	Steel chains with heat treatment
Working Load	Up to 30 kN	↑ 200 kN
Typical Industries	Packaging & light assembly	Automotive, mining, biomass
Maintenance Window	500 h lubed	1 000 h lubed

“Switching to engineering class raised uptime by 18 % on our pallet kiln conveyor,” notes our lead machinery engineer.

Remember: power transmission efficiency improves when chain pitch matches drive torque.

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6 Do Sprockets, Roller Diameter, and Lubrication Really Matter?

A conveyor chain behaves like a bicycle drivetrain on steroids: if the number of teeth on the sprocket and the roller diameter don’t match the chain pitch, shock loading and elongation occur. Proper sizing boosts power transmission efficiency by up to 7 %.

“Chains consist of a series of journal bearings; the wrong sprocket tears those bearings apart.” — Senior Reliability Engineer

Checklist for Long Chain Life

• Match pitch & teeth: Use ANSI tables; never force-fit.
• Oil film thickness: A 5 µm layer of ISO VG 150 extends service life 40 %.
• Visual gauge: Paint a stripe along the conveyor system to spot mis-alignment at a glance.

Quick-Stats Table

Variabel	Poor Setup	Optimal Setup
Mis-aligned teeth	1 mm	0.1 mm
Chain pull (kN)	22	16
Energy use (kWh/day)	480	448

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7 Which Conveyor Chain Type Fits Your Specific Application?

Finding the right type of conveyor chain starts with three filters:

1. Load Class — Light cartons, medium totes, or heavy loads like 1-ton pallets.
2. Environment — Dry warehouse, wash-down food processing, or abrasive dust.
3. Duty Cycle — 8 h/day or 24 ⁄ 7 nonstop?

Szenario	Recommended Chain Type	Reason
E-commerce sorting	Silent chains	Low noise < 70 dB, high-speed alignment
Kiln feed	Forged chains	Resists 450 °C & scale build-up
Up-Down lifts	Leaf chains	Compact yet 2× tensile strength
Bag palletizer	Double pitch roller	Fewer joints, lower cost per metre

Need help? Our engineers size a chain for your specific throughput in < 24 h.

See how our PVC belt conveyor line integrates with forged chains.

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8 Stainless Steel Conveyor Chains for Food Processing and Corrosion Control

When hygiene laws bite, stainless steel conveyor chains shine. Unlike carbon steel, the chain is made from 304 / 316 alloys that shrug off brine, acids, and CIP detergents.

Benefits in One Look

• Corrosion immunity → fewer change-outs.
• Surfaces polish to Ra ≤ 0.8 µm for easy wash-down.
• Chains are lightweight yet strong, so conveyors accelerate faster.

A dairy plant replaced carbon steel with stainless links and cut lube-freezing incidents to zero—boosting reliability during winter peaks.

Explore our stainless roller conveyor case study.

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9 Inside the Chain: Link Plates, Chain Rollers, and Other Components

Every conveyor chain shares core chain components:

Bold Breakdown

• Link plates – define tensile rating; thickness up to 8 mm in engineering steel chains.
• Pins & bushes – hardened to 58 HRC.
• Chain roller – turns on the bush, reducing sliding friction by 85 %.
• Attachments – welded, bent, or bolted to carry odd shapes.

Chains are available off-the-shelf, yet 60 % of our clients choose custom attachments for niche packaging lines.

Remember, chains come in ANSI, ISO, and BS standards; mixing specs invites jam-ups.

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10 FAQs on Conveyor Chains

How do I size a sprocket for my chain conveyor?
Count the chain pitch in mm, select the matching number of teeth, and ensure the hub fits your shaft key. Our configurator auto-checks shear stress.

Are forged chains always better for heavy-duty work?
For impact loads and slag, yes. But for clean, high-speed cartons a standard roller often wins on cost.

Can chains be used on conveyor belts?
Yes—hybrid systems use belts on horizontal runs and chain conveyor lifts on inclines.

Do chains stretch?
Technically they wear at the pin-bush joint. 3 % elongation is the replacement trigger.

What’s a universal chain?
A modular design with slotted link chain plates that accept dozens of attachment styles—ideal for frequent changeovers.

Are chains lightweight alternatives available?
Plastic-bushed link chains shave 30 % mass where inertia matters.

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Bullet-Point Takeaways

• Match sprocket & chain pitch; watch roller diameter for smooth meshing.
• Choose from roller, engineering class, leaf, attachment, forged, silent, or universal chains—each solves a different headache.
• Stainless steel conveyor versions thrive in wash-down zones; engineering steel owns the furnace.
• Regular lubrication and correct tooth count double lifespan, slashing unplanned stops.
• Our factory offers high-quality, custom-built chains backed by fast global support—contact us to upgrade today.

Internal Links Recap