Feature

Wine producer cuts downtime with new chain

A German wine producer has improved its productivity by retrofitting an anti-corrosion chain on its conveyor system. The company invested in a Tsubaki Neptune chain that has increased service life and reduced downtime, with less frequent replacement and maintenance requirements. The upgraded chain has also reduced the total cost of ownership.

01/12/2021 12:00:06

The wine producer bottles the wine and uses a series of conveyors to transport the bottles through the production process. At the end of the system, the bottles are buffered and accumulated on a spiral conveyor. The spiral conveyor is driven by a roller chain. However, as it's a wet environment, the chains rapidly corrode and become subject to high friction, resulting in a short wear life.

The chain's position is difficult to reach from a maintenance perspective and, due to the wet environment, relubrication is difficult. With an irregular lubrication regime, combined with the corrosive conditions, the conveyor's chain required replacement every two years. Frequent chain replacement increased procurement costs and, because of the chain's difficult-to-access location, it also increased downtime, reducing the wine producer's productivity.

Read the full article in DPA's December issue

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.