Buying Roller Chain?

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August 9, 2019

Before you run to replace your roller chain there are a few things to consider before you buy. Roller chain is sold by:

Configuration
Material
Length
Pitch

Depending on your project or the chain you are trying to replace these 4 things are all important to consider.

Configuration

Chain configuration should be considered when choosing or replacing your chain. Single, double, triple or quadruple are the standard configurations: single is 1 strand, double has 2 strands, the triple has 3 strands and the quadruple has 4 strands.

Material

Riveted, cottered, heavy series, stainless steel, nickel plated, conveyor roller chain or CA series are a few of the most popular types of material but not the only options. Again, depending on the job you will need to choose carefully because different materials are rated for different purposes based on cost, environment, heat, horsepower transmission influence and will dictate the longevity of your roller chain.

Length

The most common way to buy roller chain is buy the length in a box or roll. Typically you can by a 10ft roll/box, 50 ft roll/box or 100 ft roll/box. If multiple lengths are needed to be linked together you can purchase connecting links, offset links, attachment links and roller links. Depending on the job or purpose of the chain the appropriate links will need to be chosen for longevity.

Pitch

Pitch of the chain is another important detail for purchasing roller chain. According to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) correlates a number chain to every 1/8″ of measure. The first digit of the number identifies the pitch in 1/8″ increments and the second number 0 as lightweight chain or 5 as roller less bushed chain.

#25	#35	#40	#41	#50	#60	#80	#100	#120	#140
¼”	3/8”	½”	½”	5/8”	¾”	1”	1 ¼”	1 1/2”	1 ¾”