Round steel link chain conveyor – heavy-duty solution for wet and difficult biomass
Why this conveyor was developed
In biomass processing – especially with wet, fibrous or heavily contaminated materials – conventional chain conveyors quickly reach their limits.
Standardized plate link chains tend to do so under such conditions:
- become stiff because moisture and dirt penetrate the joints
- develop corrosion on bolts, sleeves and joint surfaces
- to be additionally jammed by flushed-in fines
- to walk unevenly when individual limbs lose their mobility
- jump over the chain stars as soon as the joints get stuck or move asymmetrically
The typical reflex during operation is to tighten the chain to prevent it from skipping.
However, this creates new problems:
- Increased bearing and shaft loads
- Increasing wear on the chain and drive
- Increased energy requirement
- Significantly higher susceptibility to faults
- Unplanned downtimes
This problem is particularly pronounced with wet wood chips, heavy fractions, earthy material or lumpy inclusions.
A robust and reliable alternative was required for such applications.
Concept: Round steel link chain instead of plate link chain
This conveyor uses the principle of the round steel link chain – comparable to anchor chains or the heavy-duty chains used in mining.
This technology is much less sensitive to moisture, dirt and corrosion and offers advantages that plate link chains cannot achieve due to their design.
The round steel link chain is characterized by:
- High mobility even when dirty
- No sticking or corroding joint surfaces
- Self-cleaning behavior due to the round geometry
- Extremely robust frictional connection without skipping
- High tensile strength and impact resistance
This makes the conveyor ideal for materials that present critical operating conditions for conventional systems.
Structure and functional principle
The conveyor is designed as a modular scraper chain conveyor and can be configured horizontally and vertically as required.
Key features:
- Round steel link chain (2-strand)
- Solid scraper rails with friction-locked connection
- Sturdy sheet metal box with 5 mm side and base thickness
- Wear-reduced stainless steel cover area
- Generously dimensioned drive unit with high torque reserve
- Clamping stations with sensitive adjustment
- Robust bearing packages for tough continuous operation
The process points are clearly defined:
N1 = material feed,
N2 = material ejection.
The generous interior design reduces material jams and ensures even transportation, even with difficult fabrics.
Typical input materials
The round steel link chain conveyor is ideal for:
- Wet wood chips (up to 70 % water content)
- Heavy, heterogeneous wood fractions
- Wood chips containing earth and stone
- Forest residues and landscaping material
- fibrous and bulbous mixtures of substances
- Abrasive biomass and problematic substances
In short: wherever conventional link chain conveyors reach their limits.
Technical data (extract)
Based on your technical drawing:
- Modular conveyor channels in 500 / 1000 / 2000 mm lengths
- Box height approx. 367 mm
- Side and base thickness: 5 mm
- Cover reinforcement: stainless steel 2 mm
- Round steel chain 2-strand
- Drive unit with sufficient torque reserve
- Weight of the modules > 350 kg
- High resistance to abrasive wear
The conveyor is therefore suitable for both single sections and complex, multi-section conveyor lines.
Advantages over classic link chain conveyors
- No seizing of the joints
- No jamming due to chips or moisture
- No skipping over the chain stars
- Less maintenance, less retensioning
- Less wear on shafts and bearings
- Longer service life in continuous operation
- Reliable function under extremely difficult operating conditions
The robust design makes the conveyor the ideal system for heavy-duty biomass applications.
Conclusion
The round steel link chain conveyor represents a technically superior solution for demanding biomass conveying.
The transfer of proven mining technology to the energy and biomass industry enables operation in which dirt, moisture and heterogeneous materials no longer lead to downtime or excessive wear.
The result is a conveyor system that works exactly where conventional systems have long since given up – reliable, resilient and tried and tested.
