The plastic chain plate curve conveyor uses engineering plastic chain plates as the conveying medium. With modular plastic chain plates forming the load-bearing conveying surface, it enables material conveyance at turning angles of 90°, 180°, etc., allowing flexible layout planning for production lines. It mainly consists of top engineering plastic chains, dedicated curved guide rails, stainless steel or aluminum alloy frames, drive motors and control systems. It serves as core equipment in modern packaging and automated production lines to address limited factory space and achieve smooth material turning transfer.
Main Functions
- Material turning conveyance (Core Function) Realize smooth change of material flow direction. With a single drive unit, it supports horizontal turning at 90°, 180°, S-shape and any custom angles. It replaces the traditional combination of straight conveyors and turning rollers, eliminates transition mechanisms and avoids jamming during material transfer.
- Optimize production line layout The curved design bypasses factory columns and equipment obstacles to maximize utilization of limited workshop space.
- Line diverging, merging and material distribution Act as a transport hub for automated conveying networks. Equipped with pneumatic pushers or diverting stops, it distributes products from one main line to multiple parallel production lines; it can also safely combine goods from multiple upstream lines onto one main line without collision.
- Stable load conveyance Smoothly transport rigid regular goods such as cartons, boards and packaged products, supporting long-term continuous operation.
- Adapt to diversified process conditions It serves not only as a transporter but also integrates processing procedures. Perforated plastic chain plates enable online spray washing, sterilization and water draining. Extended curved accumulation sections allow natural cooling or air drying of hot-filled products with auxiliary fans.
Applications
It is widely used in corrugated cardboard processing, carton packaging, food processing, daily chemical, logistics warehousing and automated assembly lines. It is suitable for turning, diverging and merging transportation of cartons, boards, boxed goods and packages, and meets process conveying requirements such as material washing, cooling and draining.
Advantages
High flexibility in space layout: Driven by a single motor, one single unit can continuously handle straight conveying, horizontal turning, inclined climbing or spiral lifting, greatly reducing floor space occupation.
Low noise, energy efficiency and long service life: Engineering plastics (such as POM) and high-molecular wear-resistant guide rails feature an extremely low friction coefficient. It operates far more quietly than metal chains, requires lower motor power and consumes less energy.
Food-grade hygiene and corrosion resistance: Plastic chain plates are rust-proof, non-absorbent and smooth-surfaced. Resistant to acid-alkali washing and chemical reagents, they fully comply with food safety requirements and pharmaceutical GMP standards.
Low-cost modular maintenance: All chain plates and curved guide rails adopt standardized building-block design. In case of partial damage, individual links can be replaced within minutes without dismantling the entire conveyor belt, resulting in minimal downtime costs.
Excellent accumulation performance: When downstream equipment slows down or stops, the chain plates slide smoothly beneath products. Goods can be temporarily stored, arranged and accumulated steadily without collision or surface scratches.
Questions & Answers
Q1: How to solve belt deviation and material jamming during turning conveyance?
A: Adopt special curved guide rails matching the turning radius together with matched driving sprockets. Keep even chain tension and avoid unbalanced load. Proper selection can effectively prevent deviation and jamming.
Q2: What is the service life of chain plates? What factors affect durability?
A: Under normal working conditions, POM plastic chain plates can work continuously for 1–3 years. Service life is affected by load weight, running speed, ambient temperature, material friction and acid & alkali corrosion.
Q3: Can it convey high-temperature products?
A: Standard POM chain plates work within -20℃ ~ 80℃. Modified high-temperature resistant material is available for hot goods. Operation beyond temperature range will cause accelerated aging and deformation.
Q4: Can this curve conveyor realize accumulation conveying? Will accumulated goods damage chain plates?
A: The conveyor supports accumulation function for temporary stockpiling. Long-term static heavy stacking is not recommended, as continuous overload will accelerate wear of chain plates and guide rails.
Q5: Do I need to replace the whole chain plate if damaged?
A: No. Modular structure allows separate replacement of damaged links, enabling fast maintenance and less downtime.
Q6: Is customization available for width, turning radius and frame material?
A: Customization is supported. Standard widths and 90°/180° turning radii are available. Frames can be aluminum alloy, painted carbon steel or stainless steel.
Q7: Can the machine be washed directly with water?
A: Food-grade plastic chain plates resist washing and acid & alkali. Waterproof protection for motors, reducers and electric control system is required. Never spray or soak electrical components directly.