Improved Glass Conveyor Chain for Higher Productivity

For many years, Inverted tooth chain, also known as silent chain, has been used to transport glassware in both hot end and cold end applications. Providing a stable, flat and smooth, heat resistant surface, such chains are available in many different designs and sizes. Operators and designers of glass machinery can choose from a variety of standard chain pitches, link shapes, widths, joint styles, and materials. In most applications, particularly those involving speeds less than 0.5 M/s, standard chains perform well and will provide a satisfactory service life. However, as production speeds increase, chain wear rates also increase, resulting in more frequent maintenance and reduced service life. Also, as conveyor speeds increase, synchronization with other glass transport mechanisms becomes even more critical. Variations in chain velocity or irregular movements can lead to mishandling, tipping, breakage, and downtime. All of these problems, increased maintenance, breakage, downtime, and reduced service life, drive up production costs and reduce productivity.