Smooth forklift operation is vital for seamless production. At IESL, we also know this fact and that's why we import one of the world's best forklift brand in Bangladesh. As one of the prominent forklift supplier in Bangladesh, we provide Still branded forklift trucks and TVH branded spare parts for your facility. Even after getting a high quality forklift, the importance of regular maintenance of the forklift is always crucial. From our long experience, we have seen it many times that, a seemingly less important part has caused several vital issues.

Forklift chain is like that “seemingly less important part” of your forklift. For forklift chain, there is not alternate for good maintenance. Just regular maintenance, can detect & rectifies minor problems before they affect productivity.

Here we will share some tips for you, which can help you to extend the lifespan of the forklift chain.

TIP 1 : USE NORMAL WEAR

Check the alignment of the forklift chain. Be confirmed that, the mast rollers are fitted perfectly on vertical axis. This will help to keep the chain from deforming or becoming stretched. Make sure to check the alignment in regular basis.

TIP 2 : USE THE MOST APPROPRIATE GREASE

Always make sure that, the chain doesn't run dry. Make sure to use the appropriate grease for the forklift chain. An appropriate chain will help to prevent it from corroding and keep pins and plates in proper place.

TIP 3 : USE THE CORRECT CHAIN

An overloaded forklift chain is one of the reasons of distorted pins. Always remember a stronger chain is required for a heavier load. We will share a formula to measure the correct chain length for your forklift.

Formula

1. Count the outer plates - marked in red (check the image below)
2. Multiply the number of outer plates x 2
3. Add 1
4. Multiply this result by the pitch in mm
5. Divide by 1000

This actually gives us this exact formula : (((# outer plates x 2) + 1) x p) / 1000

You will get the chain length in meter.

Ending on inners :

Note : This formula can only be used for chains ending in the inner plates (marked in blue).

TIP 4 : USE THE RIGHT TOOL TO MEASURE

You must use the right chain wear gauge to find the wear in seconds. Measuring the forklift chain will help you to find chain elongation and an unsafe chain.

TIP 5 : CHANGE THE CHAIN TIMELY

You must consider to change the leaf chains if they show the elongation of maximum 3%. Using the right wear gauge you can get the elongation easily.

Besides the wear, there are some other vital reasons to get a new lift chain :

• distorted chain pins
• rough chain leaf due to corrosion or metal fatigue
• seized links
• damaged chain due any external cause
• a crack in the chain for an excessive load or incorrect lubrication

You must know, time is always valuable than money. So, maybe a little spend on the regular maintenance could help you to save a significant amount of time. And this obviously will give you much better ROI (Return Of Investment) in time.