Replacing roller chains with Poly Chain® in small goods bin lifters

As the food and beverage industry demands safe, efficient, and hygienic power transmission solutions, Gates® has redefined power transmission by replacing the traditional roller chains with the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt.

Gates®, a leading manufacturer of drive belt solutions and the inventor of the original V-belt has a long history of innovation in power transmission.

The Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ is a prime example of this innovation, providing the industry with a power transmission solution that is not only efficient and reliable but also safe, hygienic and easy to maintain.

The Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt uses carbon fibre tensile cords to provide an increased power-carrying capacity and extended flex fatigue life. This makes it capable of withstanding shocks, surge loading and heavy abrasion, making it an ideal solution for food and beverage applications.

Unlike traditional roller chains, the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt requires zero maintenance. It does not need any stretching, re-tensioning or lubrication, eliminating the risk of dangerous situations where employees can get pinched or crushed by performing maintenance on a heavy chain.

In addition to being safer, the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt is also much lighter, weighing in at 97 per cent lighter than roller chains. This makes installation and replacement much easier and less stressful on employees.

Moreover, since it does not require lubrication, there is less risk of fire or tripping injuries from slippery floors. Also, the belts are far quieter than chains, making the operating environment a much more pleasant place to work without the noise pollution of heavy chains.

From a food and beverage perspective, the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt is a perfect fit, designed to work in wet environments and is inert to most acids and chemicals.

As food handling and processing requires constant washdowns, roller chains require regular lubrication when the oil gets washed off and are also prone to rust. Conversely, Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ belts do not rust and are completely safe for food processing facilities.

The Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt offers three times the service life of a roller chain and 10 times that of sprocket life, providing an overall improvement of efficiency of 99 per cent when it comes to the life of the drive.

Leon Stefanec, national business development manager for Food & Beverage at Motion, says a local smallgoods manufacturer changed out its roller chain for a Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ with great success.

"In this case, the lifters used to handle the hams were repeatedly washed down, causing the roller chains to rust and require constant lubrication," he says.

"By switching to Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™, the lifters are now much safer, as the belts do not require any maintenance, are rust-resistant, and do not create metal-on-metal wear. This not only improves safety but also reduces downtime in the operation, as maintenance and replacement of the roller chains and sprockets is no longer necessary."

Stefanec described the ‘bin lifters’ as manual handling aids to prevent people from picking up heavy items.

"The bins are forked into the production area by a forklift," he begins to explain. "The chain-driven bin lifter bends and rotates the legs of the ham onto the sorting table. It lifts up a 700 kilogram bin or tub."

This same principle can be applied to other food and beverage operations, where the constant washdowns and exposure to moisture and chemicals make roller chains impractical.

By switching to Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™, food and beverage companies can benefit from a belt that is not only safer, more efficient, and longer-lasting, but also reduces the risk of contamination due to oil leaks or rust.

Once installed, the product does not require any maintenance, reducing downtime and eliminating the need to replace sprockets.

With extended lengths of up to 20,000mm, longer than any other manufacturer provides, the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ can handle longer centre distances.

Its extended length (19 metres) is suited to replacing larger roller chains and gears, making it an even more versatile solution for the food and beverage industry.

As a key partner of Motion, Gates® distributes its power transmission products, including the Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belts, through Motion's branches nationwide.

The two companies work closely to support the Australian food and beverage sector with their technical expertise and solutions-driven know-how.

Innovation at its finest, Gates® Poly Chain® GT™ Carbon™ synchronous belt is redefining power transmission, making it safer, more efficient and more reliable than ever before.

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