Plastic conveyor chains reduce energy requirements

At least 75% of all products in the supermarket were conveyed with flat top chains and modular belts in the course of their production and packaging. Iwis now offers a new range of plastic flat top chains and modular belts. The chains, which are sold under the Flexon brand name, can be used for most conveying tasks that require a flat transport surface. Typical applications include conveying of glass and plastic bottles, cans, cases, casks and barrels in bottling and packaging plants, conveying foodstuffs in the food industry, and conveying small and medium-sized goods in various industrial plants. 

Flat top chains consist of plates that are connected to each other with single and double hinged joints. This design allows the construction of chains with a width of up to 305mm for both straight-line and curved tracks, onto which the products can be directly placed. Modular belts have multiple hinged joints. A special characteristic of this design is that several chain links can be placed side-by-side to construct a flat conveying surface with widths of up to 1700mm.

In many applications, plastic modular belts can have decisive advantages over their stainless steel counterparts: Their noise level in conveying systems is up to 80% lower and the synthetic elements are up to 40% lighter, which reduces the required drive power or increases the belts' conveying capacity. Because of their better resistance to chemicals, they can be cleaned with agents that are either unsuitable for metal chains or would require intensive maintenance. The FDA-approved plastic has excellent mechanical load carrying capacity, is dimensionally stable, even in humid conditions, and is low friction. With its new synthetic modular belts, Iwis meets the industry demand for energy-efficient, low-contamination and low-maintenance conveying systems. 

Flexon flat top chains are available in various plastic versions as well as stainless steel, for both straight and curved conveying sections. Flexon plastic modular belts include versions for both linear and curved running belts. All Flexon chains are made of low-contamination materials, require low maintenance and offer long service life. They boast excellent workmanship and evenness and have an especially low coefficient of friction for high energy efficiency. With their low friction and outstanding wear resistance, the modular belts achieve excellent performance even without lubrication and are therefore ideal for use in environments with stringent hygiene regulations, such as in the food, beverage and packaging industries.

The new range of chains comprises about 300 different flat top chains and more than 1,000 different modular belt variants. With the new range, Iwis' product line-up now covers all drive and conveying applications. The Iwis group's full product program includes chains for industrial applications such as precision and high-performance roller chains, conveyor chains, maintenance-free and corrosion-resistant chains, power and free conveyor chains, special-purpose conveyor chains and chains for agricultural machinery, as well as timing drive systems for the automotive industry.