Roller chain speed

[Agco Avenger]

How fast in FPM or sprocket speed can a #40 roller chain be ran? At roughly what speed does the fricton of the chain become a problem? I am wanting to use a chain on a 1725 RPM electric motor. It will be well oiled. Will it work, or is that too fast for a chain?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob]

Perhaps you should clue us in as to the size of the sprocket that will be on the motor.

I've seen LOTS of chain drives off of 1725 RPM motors, typically with a pretty small sprocket on the motor.

For example, a little 8-tooth sprocket would give a chain speed of 575 feet per minute, which is WELL within the old wive's rule of trying to keep small roller chain speed under 800 FPM.

 

[IA Leo]

According to an old LinkBelt/FMC design manual a single strand of #40 (1/2pitch) would be able to deliver around 7 hp for a limited time. However, the book says to limit chain speed to 300 FPM when manual or drip lubrication. The high velocities and centrifugal forces at the turns discourages any lube to stick around. There is a lot more to this than chain speed. Sprocket diameters, inertial loads (elec. motors can produce 130% of rated torque). Frequency of starts, shock loads and expected life are factors. Multiple strands can help and small sprockets need to have hardened teeth. If you are considering a no slip drive, you might look at toothed belts also. Leo

 

[Uncle Ernie]

I wonder what the cam chain speed in a Ford 5.4 is? Special chain running in lubricant helps a BUNCH I bet.

 

[RodinNS]

If you can find good chain, it will work. If you can't find good chain, it won't.
The only #40 chain I've found that will take any kind of speed or load is US Drives, sold by mother Deere...
The china crap just DOES NOT work.
The NAME BRAND, made in china crap doesn't work either...

Rod

 

[Ecnerwal]

If you are not limited to #40 (ie, you're designing this whatever it is from scratch) you might look into motorcycle chain, depending what your speed/load/power constraints are. A ballpark calculation seems to indicate thousands of feet per minute (a drive sprocket with 10 inches of pitch circumference turning at over 2000rpm and delivering 40 or so horsepower for one 500 cc bike I'm familiar with).

If you can enclose the drive so the chain runs in an oil bath (and does not get dirt in it's oil bath) you get all sorts of life improvement over exposed chain - but it's a bit of a hassle to build a one-off chain case that's not going to leak.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Match up the pitch to a good motorcycle chain. An O-ring or X-ring chain is the best. Motorcycle chains are way better than standard chains. Beware though, there are some cheap motorcycle chains that are junk. You get what you pay for. A motorcycle dealer can show you the different types of chain. Dave

 

[Agco Avenger]

Thanks for the ideas, but I don't think a chain will work, I probably need to look at a toothed belt. I need a 4" dia. sprocket on the motor, so that means roughly 1725 FPM chain speed. Probably too much.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I run 40 chain on a 5hp briggs go-cart at around 3000 rpm

 

[Anonymous-0]

The engine might run 3000 rpm's but the chain will be geared down from that by quite a bit. Dave

 

[Heat Houser]

I remember the chain cases on the Link Belt 718 crawler crane. It was a direct drive off of the torque convertor so it could run at engine speed of around 1900 RPMs no load. I don't remember the diameter of the sprocket on the convertor's tail shaft but I would guess 8 to 9 inch pitch line. The calc. would be 8 X 3.1416 X 1900 divided by 12 equals ft per minute. So it could have run at 3979 ft per min. It was an oil bath chain case. Even at 6 inch pitch line, the speed is 2984 FPM.