An RS120 competitor’s chain was supplied in four strands at 137 feet each. The primary issue of this metal processing application was elongation due to lack of lubrication, throwing the looper cart out of alignment.
Tsubaki’s technical solutions team further investigated the issue – the application required a chain that lubricates itself while being able to handle static hanging load simultaneously. We recommended having the first two feet and the last two feet of each strand to be Lambda self-lubricating chain – this was recommended as these were the areas of the chain that engaged with the sprocket. For the middle area, we recommended RS120 Heavy to withstand the static hanging load. These four strands were matched and tagged to ensure that the chain travels and wears evenly. This “hybrid” chain resolved the lubrication issue and uneven stretching and ultimately improved the chain life.
The customer paid three folds than what they paid for the competitor’s chain; however, Tsubaki’s innovation with the “hybrid” chain increased the life by almost six folds and saved this customer a total of $126,189.