English (UK) 
简体中文 Is the assembly line in your workshop always stuck in the conveyor link? Workpieces are blocked at the workstation, workers are waiting, efficiency is not up, but also repair equipment every day? The problem may lie in the layout design of the speed multiplier chain...If the chain is not selected correctly and the layout is not reasonable, even the best equipment will not be effective.The first thing I want to do is to make sure that you have a good idea of what you are doing. Today we skip the textbook theory, directly on the factory practical skills, from the principle of pit avoidance, step by step to dismantle how to use a single layer of speed chain to pull the assembly line efficiency full.
First, the basic question: what makes the multiplier chain speed up? Why is the layout so influential?
Where is the "cheating" structure of the Speed Chain hidden?
The central secret is in the size difference between the rollers and the rollers. The diameter of the roller (D) is larger than the diameter of the roller (d), the chain goes slowly by itself (for example, 2 metres/minute), but the plate holding the workpiece can run three times as fast (6 metres/minute). Do not underestimate the diameter difference, it allows the workpiece plate in the chain does not stop in the case of their own stops - workers screwing the workpiece is as stable as Mount Taishan, finished the work to release the stop, the workpiece "whoosh" slides to the next workstation.
How is the layout holding back efficiency?
An example: a 20 metre long linear layout with no segments in the middle. The result is that the chain is too taut, hard grinding guideway, three months to pull off. Another example is that the turning radius is too small, and the workpiece is directly stuck in the bend overturned ......Layout is not a building block. One wrong step and you can fix it every day..
Second, the scenario problem: how to do selection calculations? Where to find key parameters?
1. How do you calculate the load? Don't guess, disassemble the formula!
formulas::Weight per metre WA (kg/m) = (Workpiece weight W1 + Pallet weight W2) ÷ Pallet travel distance PL.
- Scene 1: Car factory transporting engines (W1=200kg), pallets weighing 50kg, workstations spaced 2m apart → WA=(200+50)/2=125kg/m.
- Scene 2: Electronic factory transporting circuit boards (W1=5kg), pallet weight 2kg, spacing 0.5m → WA=(5+2)/0.5=14kg/m.
Chain Selection Comparison Table::
| Chain type | Maximum load (kg/m) | Applicable Scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| WCHE3 | 30 | Mobile phone cases, small circuit boards |
| WCHE4 | 55 | Air-conditioner housings, motors |
| WCHE5 | 75 | Engine, Battery Pack |
| Automotive factories close their eyes and choose WCHE5, electronics factories WCHE3/4 enough - overloaded 10% failure rate soared 50%. |
2. Layout design: how to lay out straight lines, turns and segments?
- Linear length: Don't exceed 12 metres for a single section! Otherwise the chain tension is too high and the wear of the guides is accelerated. If it is more than that, it will be divided into sections, and drive wheels will be added in the middle.
- turning radius: At least 5 times the width of the chain. For example, if the chain width is 100mm, the turning radius is ≥500mm, otherwise the workpiece will be thrown away centrifugally.
- Distance between workstations: Recommended 0.4~0.6 metres for electronic factories (precision assembly), 1.5~2 metres for automotive factories (heavy parts operating space).
3. Where to find the core components?
- slidewayExtruded aluminium alloy profiles with wear-resistant coating and a coefficient of friction of 30% (don't use ordinary steel rails, which are noisy and cost electricity).
- drive unit: Inverter motors for light-duty lines (electronics factories) and double sprocket drives for heavy-duty lines (automotive factories) to avoid a single point of failure that would shut down the entire line.
- stopper: Cylinder type stopper is installed at the entrance of the work station, together with photoelectric sensor, within the error of ±0.5mm.
Third, the solution: what happens if the design is wrong? The rescue technique is here!
1. What happens if there is an overload?
resultChain rollers are deformed, the workpiece is shaking and hitting the workpiece, and the yield rate is plummeting.
remediation::
- Reduce the load immediately! Disassemble the workpiece in two shipments, or replace it with a lighter carbon fibre pallet.
- plusDouble chain in parallelThe WCHE4 double bar carries 110kg/m, which is more stable than the single bar WCHE5).
2. What if the environment is too "hellish"?
- Antistatic for electronic factories: Nylon rollers + surface conductive carbon fibre, static voltage from 10kV to within 100V.
- Automobile factory against heavy impact: All-steel chain + surface quenching (HRC40 or above), heavy pieces smashed down rollers do not crack.
- Paint spraying line with high temperature resistance: Ordinary chain into a 60°C paint booth? One month deformation! Change the 600℃ alloy steel chain, it is 30% expensive, but the life span is 3 years more.
3. If efficiency still isn't working? Check these 3 places!
- Insufficient chain tension: Press the middle part of the chain by hand, sagging > 20mm? Otherwise, the "clicking" noise will continue.
- Lubrication Potholes: Ordinary grease for a hot shop? Dry grind for a month! ChangeHigh temperature grease, dropping point >200°C.
- Workpiece board jams: Roller does not turn → Dust jammed. Weekly air gun to clear the guideway groove, dust thickness should not exceed 1mm.
Fourth, doubling the efficiency of skills: layout optimisation of real cases
Case 1: electronic factory patch line speed up 30%
- sore point: Original linear layout of 20 metres with end workpieces stacked.
- remould: Split into two sections of 10 metre line with jacking leveller in between.
- effect: The jam disappears and the beat shrinks from 40 seconds to 28 seconds.
Case 2: Automotive Battery Pack Production Line Cost Reduction of $500,000/year
- sore point: Heavy-duty chains are replaced monthly, with a week's downtime for repairs.
- remould: WCHE5 chain + double sprocket drive, bend radius expanded from 300mm to 800mm.
- effectChain life is extended from 1 year to 5 years, which saves 500,000 RMB per year in maintenance costs and production downtime.
The Golden Rule of Multiplier Chain Layout::
- segmentation control: Over 12 metres must be segmented, with the drive wheels placed in the middle;
- velocity stratification: Reduced speed in the assembly section (5 m/min in the electronics line and 8 m/min in the car line) and increased speed to 15 m/min in the no-load section;
- Redundant drives: Double sprockets are available for key stations, with one breaking down and the other replacing the other.
Editor's view: Designing a multiplier chain isn't about drawing pictures, it's about figuring them out."Where does the force go and where does the cargo stop?" Electronics factories need to be light and fast to prevent static electricity, automobile factories need to be stable to carry heavy impacts -Eat through your workshop's temperament before you start to change the layoutThe efficiency is saved. Efficiency is saved, and stopping production to fix a chain once is enough to cost you to re-buy three systems.
