What aspects need to be checked during the daily maintenance of chain-driven electric pallet tilters?

2025-09-03 11:57:37

For electric Pallet Flipping Machines with chain transmission, the core of daily maintenance revolves around the "transmission stability, wear degree, lubrication status" and related components of the chain. It is necessary to focus on checking the following six dimensions, timely discover hidden problems, and avoid equipment shutdown or safety risks caused by chain failures:

Core state of the chain: wear, deformation, and meshing condition

The chain is the core of the transmission, and priority should be given to checking whether there is any physical damage that affects the transmission efficiency, including:

Wear level inspection

Touch the outer chain plate and roller surface of the chain with your hand to feel if there are obvious dents, scratches, or excessive smoothness;

Focus on checking the clearance between the chain link pin shaft and the sleeve: Pinch the adjacent two chain links and shake them horizontally. If the clearance exceeds 0.5mm or there is a noticeable "looseness" when shaking, it indicates that the wear has exceeded the standard and the chain link or the entire chain needs to be replaced in a timely manner.

Deformation and fracture inspection

Visually observe the entire length of the chain to see if there are any bent links, deformed outer chain plates, cracked rollers, or detached pins;

Pay special attention to the "stress section" where the chain and sprocket mesh. This area is prone to chain link breakage due to impact loads, and it is necessary to check for hidden cracks section by section.

Mesh accuracy inspection

Start the equipment to run without load and observe the meshing status of the chain and sprocket: under normal circumstances, the chain should be smoothly inserted into the sprocket groove without "jamming", "jumping teeth" or "eccentric wear";

If there is a "strange noise+jumping teeth", it may be due to severe wear of the sprocket tooth surface (such as pointed tooth tips and widened tooth grooves), and the sprocket condition needs to be checked synchronously.

Chain tension: avoid double damage caused by too loose or too tight

Tension is a key parameter of chain transmission - too loose can cause tooth skipping, too tight can accelerate wear. The inspection method is as follows:

static check

Turn off the device power, press the "slack section" of the chain with your hand, and select the pressing position between the two sprockets: under normal tension, the pressing displacement should be between 5-15mm;

If there is almost no resistance when pressed, it indicates that the chain is too loose; If the pressure does not move or the displacement is less than 3mm, it indicates that it is too tight and needs to be adjusted through a tensioning device.

dynamic inspection

Run the equipment without load and observe if the chain runs "off track": If the chain always leans towards the sprocket side or if there is a "left and right swing" during operation, it may be due to the tensioning device being offset. Stop the machine and adjust the horizontal position of the tensioning wheel to ensure that the chain is parallel to the sprocket axis.

Lubrication status: Determine whether the grease is "effective and appropriate"

The core of chain lubrication is "uniform oil coverage and no drying/pollution". If lubrication fails, it will cause a sudden increase in the friction coefficient between the chain and sprocket, accelerating wear:

Lubrication check

Visually inspect the surface of the chain: A normally lubricated chain should have a uniform oil film at the gaps between the rollers, pins, and links;

If the surface of the chain is found to be dry, rust colored, or the grease is chunky or black, it indicates insufficient lubrication or grease deterioration. The old oil should be cleaned first, and then special chain lubricant should be reapplied.

Lubrication position inspection

Key confirmation of whether there is grease at the joint of the chain link: the chain link can be pulled. If there is no oil leakage at the joint, it indicates that the lubrication is not in place. Use a lubricating oil gun to aim at the joint and inject oil to ensure that the key friction surface is protected by an oil film.

Chain wheel matching components: wear, looseness, and alignment

Chain wheel and chain are "transmission partners", and the state of the chain wheel directly affects the life of the chain. It needs to be checked synchronously:

Wear of sprocket tooth surface

Observe whether the sprocket teeth have become sharper, the tooth grooves have widened, or there are obvious scratches or peeling on the tooth surface. If any of the above situations occur, replace the sprocket in a timely manner to avoid further wear on the chain.

Chain wheel installation status

Check the connection between the sprocket and the motor output shaft, as well as the input shaft of the flipping mechanism: use a wrench to gently tighten the sprocket fixing bolt to see if it is loose; If the bolt becomes loose, it will cause the sprocket to rotate eccentrically, leading to uneven wear of the chain;

Confirm the "axis alignment" of the two sprockets: use a ruler to lean against the end faces of the two sprockets. If the ruler is in contact with both end faces of the sprockets, it indicates alignment; If there is a unilateral gap, the installation position of the motor or flipping mechanism needs to be adjusted to avoid accelerated wear of the chain due to "diagonal pulling".

Safety Protection and Cleaning: Preventing External Damage and Pollution

Chain transmission parts usually have protective covers, which need to be checked for effectiveness and to prevent foreign objects from entering:

Protective cover inspection

Check if the protective cover is intact: no cracks or deformations, and no missing fixing bolts; If the protective cover is damaged, it can easily cause dust and material particles to enter the chain, accelerate wear, or pose a risk of accidental contact by personnel. It needs to be repaired or replaced in a timely manner.

Cleaning status check

Clean the dust and material residue inside the protective cover and on the surface of the chain: it can be cleaned with a brush or compressed air to prevent foreign objects from getting stuck between the chain and sprocket, causing chain failure.

Running noise and temperature: dynamic troubleshooting of hidden faults

During daily operations, it is necessary to "listen with the ears and touch with the hands" to identify potential problems through abnormal signals

Abnormal noise judgment

When the equipment is running, if there is a "click", "squeak", or "clack" in the chain transmission part, it is necessary to immediately stop the machine for inspection. It may be due to loose chains, worn sprockets, or foreign objects getting stuck.

Temperature check

After 30 minutes of equipment operation, touch the outer chain plate of the chain with your hand: the normal temperature should be 10-15 ℃ different from the ambient temperature; If the temperature is too high, it may be due to insufficient lubrication, tight chain, or bearing failure, and further investigation is needed.

Through the daily inspection of the six dimensions mentioned above, the "core loss points" and "safety risk points" of the chain transmission system can be covered. It is recommended to spend 5-10 minutes to quickly investigate before each use, conduct a comprehensive inspection once a week, and combine regular lubrication to significantly extend the service life of the chain and sprocket, avoiding sudden failures.