In the current transformation of the packaging industry towards automation, intelligence, and efficiency, the conveyor system, as the “main artery” of the production line, directly determines packaging efficiency, product quality, and production costs. Chain plates, as a core conveyor component in automated packaging equipment, have become widely used in various sub-sectors such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, daily chemical, and logistics packaging due to their stability, reliability, strong adaptability, and convenient maintenance. They have become a key support connecting various packaging processes and achieving continuous production, driving the packaging industry from “semi-automatic” to “fully automated,” and helping enterprises achieve capacity upgrades and efficiency improvements.

 

I. The Core Positioning and Value of Chain Plates in Automated Packaging Equipment

The core requirement of packaging automation is to achieve “continuous, precise, and low-loss” production. As the core load-bearing and transmission component of the conveyor system, the core value of chain plates lies in building a seamless bridge between various packaging processes (such as filling, sealing, labeling, sorting, and palletizing), breaking down production barriers between processes, and avoiding problems such as low efficiency, product damage, and contamination caused by manual handling.

Compared to traditional conveyor components, the chain conveyor in automated packaging equipment offers irreplaceable advantages: First, it boasts a high load-bearing capacity, adapting to packaging products of varying weights and sizes, from lightweight small packages of snacks and pharmaceuticals to heavy-duty cases of daily chemicals and beverages, ensuring stable transport. Second, it offers high operational stability; its modular design and sprocket drive effectively avoid common malfunctions of traditional conveyor belts, such as belt misalignment, tearing, and slippage, ensuring precise conveying trajectories and maintaining the continuity of the packaging process. Third, it offers wide adaptability, enabling various conveying trajectories including straight lines, turns, inclines, and descents to flexibly adapt to different workshop layouts, depending on the layout requirements of the packaging production line. Fourth, it is easy to maintain; its modular structure allows for individual replacement of damaged sections, eliminating the need to replace the entire conveyor component, significantly reducing maintenance costs and downtime, and improving production line uptime.

With the continuous improvement of automation levels in the packaging industry, chain conveyors are no longer simply “conveying carriers,” but have become an important component for realizing intelligent production. By integrating technologies such as sensors and RFID, they enable real-time tracking, counting, and positioning of packaged products, providing support for intelligent scheduling and data-driven management of production lines, aligning with the development trends of Industry 4.0 and flexible manufacturing.

II. Main Types and Technical Characteristics of Chain Conveyors in Packaging Industry Automation Equipment

Based on the working conditions and product characteristics of the packaging industry, the mainstream chain conveyors in the packaging automation equipment market are currently divided into two main categories. Each type of chain conveyor has its own emphasis in terms of material, structure, and performance, adapting to different packaging scenarios.

(I) Classification by Material: Adapting to Different Industry Compliance and Working Condition Requirements

1. POM (Polyoxymethylene) Chain Conveyors: Using POM as the core material, this is one of the most widely used chain conveyor types in the packaging industry, especially suitable for fields with high hygiene requirements such as food and pharmaceuticals. Its core characteristics are corrosion resistance, odorlessness, and easy cleaning. The surface is free of pores and gaps, preventing contaminant penetration. It meets industry certification standards such as FDA, EU10/2011, and GMP. It also possesses excellent wear resistance and temperature adaptability, with an operating temperature range of -40℃ to 90℃, making it suitable for special conditions such as low-temperature quick-freezing and high-temperature sterilization in food packaging. Furthermore, plastic steel chain plates are lightweight and operate with low noise, effectively reducing workshop noise pollution. Maintenance costs are significantly lower than traditional metal chain plates, making them the preferred choice for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging production lines.

2. Stainless Steel Chain Plates: Primarily made of 304 and 316 stainless steel, they possess extremely strong corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and load-bearing capacity, making them suitable for chemical packaging, heavy-duty packaging, and high-temperature environments. Among them, 304 stainless steel chain plates are suitable for general humid and slightly oily environments, offering high cost-effectiveness and meeting the conveying needs of ordinary packaged products. 316 stainless steel chain plates, containing molybdenum, have stronger corrosion resistance and are suitable for harsh environments with high salt spray and high acid/alkali conditions, such as seafood processing packaging and chemical raw material packaging. Specially customized 310S stainless steel chain plates can withstand temperatures above 800℃, making them suitable for extreme working conditions such as metallurgical packaging. Stainless steel chain plates have a smooth surface and high strength, effectively preventing scratches and damage to packaged products during transport. They are also easy to clean and disinfect, meeting the hygiene requirements of the high-end packaging industry.

3. Carbon steel chain plates: Made primarily of carbon steel, they possess extremely high load-bearing capacity and tensile strength. The maximum conveying length can reach 35 meters, and the working load can reach 4000N. They are suitable for conveying heavy-duty packaged products, such as cases of household appliances and large industrial products. While lower in cost, they have poorer corrosion resistance and require regular rust prevention treatment. They are more suitable for dry, non-corrosive packaging conditions and are widely used in heavy-duty sorting and palletizing processes in logistics packaging.

(II) Classification by Structure: Adapting to Different Conveying Trajectories and Product Forms

1. Straight-Line Chain Plates: Represented by the 963-type straight-line chain, these have a simple structure and low running resistance. Primarily used for straight-line conveying, they are suitable for long-distance conveying of regular packaged materials such as cartons, sheets, and bags. Common widths include 82.6mm, 114.3mm, and 152.4mm, which can be flexibly selected according to the size of the packaged product. They are widely used in mainstream conveying stages of packaging production lines, such as finished product conveying and raw material transfer.

2. Side-Bending Chain Plates: Represented by the 1873-type side-bending chain, these have flexible turning capabilities, with a minimum turning radius of 150mm. They can achieve multi-angle turning conveying such as 90° and 180°, making them suitable for complex workshop layouts that require changes in conveying direction, such as corner transfers in beverage packaging production lines and multi-process connections in daily chemical products. Its maximum conveying length is consistent with that of straight-line chain plates, reaching 35 meters for carbon steel and 25 meters for stainless steel. The maximum operating speed is 90 meters/minute under lubrication conditions and 60 meters/minute under dry conditions, meeting the needs of high-speed packaging production lines.

3. Special Function Chain Plates: Designed for specific packaging scenarios, these mainly include mountain-shaped chain plates and D-shaped turning chain plates. Mountain-shaped and D-shaped turning chain plates are primarily used for bottle and can clamping, and climbing conveying, suitable for bottled and canned product packaging production lines. They effectively prevent products from slipping or tipping during climbing and turning, ensuring conveying stability. In addition, there are customized chain plates with anti-slip bumps and baffles, suitable for round, easily slippery products and inclined conveying scenarios, further expanding the application range of chain plates.

III. Core Application Scenarios of Chain Plates in Automated Packaging Equipment

Chain plates are used throughout the entire automated packaging production line, covering raw material conveying, processing and packaging, sorting and palletizing. The application focus varies depending on the industry and working conditions, but the core scenarios are mainly concentrated in the following four areas:

(I) Food and Beverage Packaging: Hygiene and Efficiency as Dual Cores

The food and beverage industry is the most widespread application area for chain plates, accounting for approximately 45%. The core requirements are hygiene and safety, high efficiency and stability, and ease of cleaning. In the packaging production of bottled beverages, canned goods, and bagged snacks, chain plates are used throughout the entire process of empty bottle cleaning, filling, capping, labeling, sterilization, sorting, and palletizing: Plastic steel chain plates, with their food-grade material and easy-to-clean properties, are used in conveying stages that directly contact food, avoiding contamination; stainless steel chain plates are used for conveying and palletizing heavy finished products, such as transferring cases of beverages; side-bending chain plates and can-clamping chain plates are adapted to the turning and climbing stages of the production line, ensuring that bottled and canned products do not tip over or break during high-speed conveying. For example, leading dairy companies like Mengniu and Yili widely use plastic-coated steel chain plates and customized can-clamping chain plates in their intelligent packaging production lines to achieve continuous and hygienic production, significantly improving packaging efficiency and product qualification rates.

(II) Pharmaceutical Packaging: Dual Requirements of Compliance and Precision

Pharmaceutical packaging has extremely high requirements for hygiene standards and conveying precision, needing to comply with GMP certification specifications. The application of chain plates must meet the characteristics of being pollution-free, residue-free, and operating with precision. In the packaging of pharmaceutical tablets, capsules, and injections, plastic-coated steel chain plates and 316 stainless steel chain plates have become the mainstream choices: their smooth, burr-free surfaces are easy to clean and disinfect, preventing drug contamination; modular design and precise operating trajectories ensure accurate counting and positioning during the drug packaging process, reducing problems such as missed or incorrect packaging. At the same time, the chain plates in pharmaceutical packaging production lines mostly adopt a lubrication-free design to avoid oil contamination of drugs, further ensuring product safety, and are widely used in aseptic packaging workshops and drug sorting processes.

(III) Daily Chemical Packaging Sector: Flexibility and Durability

Daily chemical products are diverse, with varied packaging forms (e.g., bottled, bagged, boxed) and significant weight differences, placing higher demands on the adaptability and durability of chain conveyors. In packaging production lines for products such as shampoo, laundry detergent, and cosmetics, chain conveyors can be flexibly adapted according to product characteristics: lightweight bottled products use plastic steel chain conveyors for high-speed transport, heavy-duty cased products use carbon steel or stainless steel chain conveyors for stable transfer, and turning chain conveyors adapt to complex workshop layouts, achieving seamless connection between multiple processes. Furthermore, some stages of daily chemical packaging involve corrosive materials; 316 stainless steel chain conveyors can effectively resist corrosion, extend service life, and reduce maintenance costs.

(IV) Logistics Packaging Sector: High Efficiency and Heavy Load Capacity

With the rapid development of e-commerce logistics, the demand for efficient sorting and rapid transfer in logistics packaging has surged, making chain conveyors a core component of automated logistics packaging production lines. In express delivery sorting, cargo packaging, and full-case transfer, carbon steel and stainless steel chain plates, with their strong load-bearing capacity and continuous operation capability, enable high-speed transport and sorting of goods. Modular design allows the chain plates to be flexibly adjusted in length and width according to sorting needs, adapting to packages of different sizes. Simultaneously, the stable operation of the chain plates reduces package damage during transport, improving logistics packaging efficiency. Leading logistics companies such as JD.com and SF Express extensively use modular chain plates in their automated sorting production lines to achieve efficient and low-loss logistics packaging and transfer.

IV. Development Trends of Chain Plates in Automated Packaging Equipment

As the packaging industry transforms towards intelligence, greening, and flexibility, and downstream industries continuously increase their requirements for packaging efficiency and product quality, automated equipment chain plates are rapidly developing towards “high performance, intelligence, greening, and customization,” and will exhibit four major development trends in the future.

First, high-performance upgrades. With the increasing speed and heavy-duty nature of packaging production lines, chain plates will further improve their wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and high-temperature resistance. Modified materials capable of continuous operation above 120℃ will be developed, while structural design will be optimized to enhance tensile strength and operational stability, reducing the failure rate. For example, through material modification, the temperature adaptability of plastic steel chain plates can be extended to -40℃ to 150℃, meeting the needs of more extreme packaging conditions; stainless steel chain plates will further improve corrosion resistance, adapting to packaging and conveying requirements in more harsh environments.

Secondly, intelligent integration. Chain plates will gradually be integrated into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) system. By embedding sensors, RFID, and other technologies, real-time monitoring of the conveying process will be achieved, such as real-time collection and analysis of data on chain plate operating speed, load conditions, and wear levels, providing early warnings of faults and reducing downtime. Simultaneously, combined with intelligent scheduling systems, precise matching of chain plate conveying speed and packaging processes will be achieved, improving the intelligence level of the production line and helping enterprises achieve data-driven management and lean production.

Thirdly, green development. In response to the green manufacturing requirements under the “dual carbon” goal, chain conveyors will increasingly utilize environmentally friendly materials such as recycled engineering plastics and bio-based polymers to reduce resource consumption and environmental pollution. Simultaneously, the structural design of the chain conveyors will be optimized to extend their service life and reduce replacement frequency, achieving a “low-carbon, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly” production philosophy. For example, the research and application of recyclable plastic-steel chain conveyors will significantly reduce plastic waste generation, aligning with the development trend of green packaging.

Fourth, customization will be deepened. Different industries and companies have significantly different packaging production line layouts and product characteristics. General-purpose chain conveyors are no longer sufficient to meet personalized needs, and customized chain conveyors will become the market mainstream. Companies will customize chain conveyors of different materials, sizes, and structures according to the specific working conditions of their clients. Examples include anti-static chain conveyors for electronic component packaging, cushioning chain conveyors for fragile item packaging, and customized turning chain conveyors for special trajectories. This will further improve the adaptability of chain conveyors to packaging production lines, helping companies achieve personalized and flexible production. At the same time, companies with independent R&D capabilities and mastery of core material formulas will have an advantage in customized services, gradually replacing price competition and forming brand effects and technological barriers.

V. Conclusion

In the wave of automation upgrades in the packaging industry, chain conveyors, as core components of conveyor systems, directly impact the efficiency, quality, and cost of packaging production lines, becoming a crucial support for the high-quality development of the packaging industry. From hygienic conveying of food and beverages to compliant conveying in the pharmaceutical industry, from flexible adaptation of daily chemical products to efficient transfer of logistics packaging, the application scenarios of chain conveyors are constantly expanding, and their technology is continuously iterating and upgrading.

In the future, with the deepening of Industry 4.0, flexible manufacturing, and green manufacturing concepts, chain conveyors in packaging automation equipment will continue to develop towards high performance, intelligence, greenness, and customization. This will not only further improve their adaptability and stability but also deeply integrate with intelligent packaging systems, helping enterprises break through production bottlenecks, achieve capacity upgrades and efficiency improvements, and inject new impetus into the automation and intelligent development of the packaging industry. For packaging companies, selecting chain conveyor products suitable for their own working conditions and strengthening the daily maintenance and management of chain conveyors will become key measures to enhance core competitiveness.