BIZOMAT MAKEOS · Power Transmission
Chain Conveyor Pull and Drive Sizing
What chain pull, sprocket torque and motor power does this chain conveyor need, and is the chain strong enough?
Sizing of a drag or roller chain conveyor: chain pull on the carrying run from load and chain weight with friction and lift, the return run pull, total pull with a starting factor shared between strands against the chain working load, drive sprocket pitch diameter, torque and speed, and motor power.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Conveyor length | m | Horizontal length of the conveyor. |
| Lift | m | Height the load rises along the conveyor. |
| Load per metre | kg/m | Mass of conveyed material per metre of conveyor. |
| Chain and attachments per metre (one run, all strands) | kg/m | Mass per metre of chain and attachments on one run (all strands together). |
| Friction coefficient (sliding or rolling) | Friction coefficient for the chain sliding on its track or rolling on rollers. | |
| Chain speed | m/s | Chain speed. |
| Chain strands | Number of chain strands sharing the pull. | |
| Starting and service factor | Factor for starting and duty. | |
| Working load per strand | kN | Allowable working load of one chain strand (from the chain maker). |
| Drive sprocket teeth | Teeth on the drive sprocket. | |
| Chain pitch | mm | Chain pitch. |
| Drive efficiency | % | Efficiency of the drive gearing. |
What each input means
Open an input to see what it is, its units, the worked example and the common mistakes, with a small diagram.
What this means: Conveyor length
- What it is
- Horizontal length of the conveyor over which friction acts on both the carrying and the return run.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m: metres. The form accepts 0.000001 m to 10000 m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 30 m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Friction pull on both runs rises in proportion to length.
What this means: Lift
- What it is
- Height the load rises from the tail to the head of the conveyor; a negative value is a downhill conveyor.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m: metres. The form accepts -500 m to 500 m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Load per metre
- What it is
- Mass of conveyed material per metre of conveyor length when fully loaded.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m: kilograms per metre of length. The form accepts 0 kg/m to 100000 kg/m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 50 kg/m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Chain and attachments per metre (one run, all s…
- What it is
- Mass per metre of chain and attachments on one run, all strands together.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kg/m: kilograms per metre of length. The form accepts 0.000001 kg/m to 10000 kg/m. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 10 kg/m as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- One run only, not carrying and return runs added together.
What this means: Friction coefficient (sliding or rolling)
- What it is
- Friction coefficient for the chain sliding on its track or rolling on its rollers, from the chain maker.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 0.005 to 1. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.15 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Chain speed
- What it is
- Linear speed of the chain along the conveyor.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in m/s: metres per second. The form accepts 0.000001 m/s to 10 m/s. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 0.3 m/s as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Motor power rises in proportion to chain speed.
What this means: Chain strands
- What it is
- Number of parallel chain strands sharing the pull.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 8. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 2 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Design pull per strand falls in inverse proportion.
What this means: Starting and service factor
- What it is
- Multiplier on the pull for starting and duty, applied before comparing with the chain’s working load.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 1 to 5. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 1.3 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Design pull per strand is proportional to it.
What this means: Working load per strand
- What it is
- Allowable working load of one chain strand, from the chain maker’s catalogue.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in kN: kilonewtons (1 kN = 1000 N). The form accepts 0.000001 kN to 10000 kN. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 15 kN as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Get it right
- Working load, not breaking load.
What this means: Drive sprocket teeth
- What it is
- Number of teeth on the drive sprocket.
- Units and format
- Enter a plain number with no unit. The form accepts 6 to 100. Use a whole number. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 12 as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- More teeth give a larger sprocket, more torque and a lower sprocket speed.
What this means: Chain pitch
- What it is
- Chain pitch, the distance between centres of adjacent chain pins.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in mm: millimetres. The form accepts 0.000001 mm to 500 mm. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 38.1 mm as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
What this means: Drive efficiency
- What it is
- Efficiency of the gearing between the motor and the drive sprocket, from the gearbox maker.
- Units and format
- Enter a number in %: percent: the number is read as a percentage, so type 8 for 8 %. The form accepts 20% to 100%. Required: the tool does not calculate until every input is valid.
- Example
- The form opens with 85% as a worked example. It is an illustration, not a recommended value: replace it with your own figure.
- Effect on the result
- Motor power is inversely proportional to it.
Method and formulas
- Carrying run: (q + q_c) g (μ L + H); return run: q_c g μ L.
- Design pull per strand = total pull × SF ÷ strands, against the working load.
- Sprocket PD = p ÷ sin(180° ÷ z); torque = pull × PD ÷ 2; speed = v ÷ π PD.
- Motor power = total pull × v ÷ η.
- Example: the conveyor needs 4.2659 kN of pull and about 1.5056 kW.
Limitations
- Steady running with a single friction coefficient; curves, scrapers and material build-up add pull.
- Chain selection must follow the chain maker’s ratings and wear life.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Size a chain conveyor drive and chain
- Check a chain conveyor for a heavier load
- Find drive sprocket torque and speed
Who it is for
- Materials-handling engineers
- Maintenance engineers
- Machine designers
What you get
- Carrying, return and total chain pull
- Pull per strand against the working load
- Sprocket torque, speed and motor power
Interpreting the result
- On long conveyors friction dominates; rollers on the chain cut the pull several times over.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 2537–2556. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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