How to choose the right plastic chain guide for your machine

A chain guide may seem like a simple part, but the choice of material and design determines a great deal. How smoothly does the chain run? How does the guide hold up in a wet or hygienic environment? And how often does it need to be replaced?

Chain guides are among the most requested parts that Lakwijk produces. In this blog you can read which plastic best suits your application, which factors determine the choice and what to look out for when having a custom guide made.

What does a chain guide do?

Keeping the chain on track

A chain guide keeps the chain in place and ensures that it runs smoothly and on the right track. The guide supports the chain, limits vibrations and prevents the chain from rubbing directly against metal parts of the machine. As a result, both the chain and the machine last longer.

Where chain guides are used

Chain guides are found wherever products are moved automatically. In mechanical engineering, this includes:

• Conveyor systems, conveyor tracks and conveyor belts
• Sorting machines
• Slaughtering machines and other installations in the food industry
• Roller conveyors

Chain guides are indispensable, especially in the food industry, where virtually the entire process is automated.

Why plastic and not metal?

Smooth sliding and less damage to the chain

Plastic has good sliding properties. The chain runs along the guide with little friction, which ensures even operation.

Because plastic is softer than metal, the chain is less easily damaged. The wear ends up in the guide and not in the more expensive parts of the machine.

Light, cost-effective and easy to machine

Plastic is lighter than metal, often more cost-effective and easy to machine. Even complex profiles with rebates, bevelled edges and countersunk fixing holes can be made efficiently. A plastic guide is also relatively easy to replace.

Which plastic suits your chain guide?

HMPE, POM and PA

The most commonly used materials for chain guides are HMPE, POM and PA. Each material has its own strengths.

HMPE is the classic choice for chain guides. The material is highly wear-resistant, has low friction, is impact-resistant and does not absorb moisture. This means it performs well in applications where a chain runs past continuously, including in wet environments.

POM is stiffer and more dimensionally stable. It is a good choice when the guide needs to fit precisely or when stiffness is important.

PA is strong, tough and wear-resistant. However, the material does absorb moisture, which can affect its dimensions in humid environments.

Chain guides for the food industry

If the guide comes into contact with food, food grade certified material is a requirement. Increasingly, blue HMPE or POM is chosen. Blue hardly ever occurs in food, so a detached particle is immediately noticeable and can be picked up by detection systems.

Which factors determine the choice?

Load and use

How intensively the guide is used weighs heavily in the choice of material. Think of the frequency, speed and load of the chain. In a continuously running conveyor system, the emphasis is more on wear resistance and low friction, as with HMPE. If the guide mainly needs to fit precisely, POM is more likely to come into consideration.

The product being conveyed

The product itself also makes a difference. A round product causes less wear than a product with sharp edges, which is also more likely to cause blockages. Under heavier conditions, it pays to adapt the material and design of the guide accordingly.

The environment

Is there exposure to moisture or chemicals? Does temperature play a role? Is the installation cleaned intensively? These conditions determine which material performs best in the long term. Lakwijk always asks about this and advises accordingly.

Custom chain guides

No standard guide

There is no such thing as a standard chain guide. Every machine builder designs their machines in their own way, so the guides differ from machine to machine.

That is why Lakwijk always makes chain guides to measure, based on a PDF technical drawing and a 3D model such as a STEP file. This applies to new machines as well as to replacement in existing installations.

Milled and produced automatically

Chain guides are milled from sheet material. Profiles, rebates, bevelled edges and fixing holes are made in the same process. A large part of production is automated, so both small quantities and larger series are made efficiently and with consistent quality.

Longer than the sheet

Chain guides are often long parts. Lakwijk can machine lengths of up to 4 metres, although the maximum length also depends on the sheet size in which a material is available. If a guide is longer, it is made in sections. With a suitable joint and additional fastening where necessary, these sections together form a single whole again.

The right chain guide for your machine

A good chain guide starts with the right combination of material, design and machining. Not sure which plastic best suits your machine or application? Lakwijk is happy to think along with you and advise based on the conditions in which the guide has to perform.

Looking for plastic chain guides for your machine? Contact Lakwijk. We make your guides fully to measure.