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Tsubaki Advantage
Tsubaki Stocked Sprockets are Now Hardened
For Optimum Performance: Choose Tsubaki Sprockets
Tsubaki Sprockets are the perfect complement to Tsubaki Chains. Ensure your application is running at its best with Tsubaki premium sprockets.All Tsubaki stock sprockets come with Hardened Teeth to RC35-50 standards, providing the most out of your sprockets while extending the life of your chain.Advantages of Hardened Teeth
- Extends chain life up to 50%
- Offers up to twice the wear life
- Can be used in abrasive conditions
- Absorbs high shock loads
- Saves downtime and replacement costs
- Can be used in heavy loaded applications
- Ideal for high speeds
Choosing the right sprocket for your chain is critical to the life of your applications.All Tsubaki sprockets are made from 1045 cold rolled carbon steel giving you the strength and workability that powdered metal cannot.- Powdered metal sprockets cannot be hardened and therefore, wear prematurely.
- Powdered metal sprockets short life span results in frequent replacement and downtime.
- Powdered metal sprockets cannot be welded and will result in cracking when attempted.
Most customers are not aware that there is a choice between soft and hardened tooth sprockets. This results in inferior products being purchased with an increased rate of replacement. Unlike many competitors’ sprockets, all Tsubaki stock sprockets come hardened as a standard, ensuring you the highest quality sprockets are interacting with the highest quality chain, keeping your application running stronger longer.
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Cost Savings
Stone Elevator Sprocket with Wear Indicator
ISSUE:
An emerging global supplier for lime and limestone products has had maintenance issues with sprockets on their stone elevator, 200 feet above ground. The customer was previously using a competitor’s cast, chilled rim 132C10 segmented sprocket. Maintenance was always an issue due to the location of the sprocket. Furthermore, when they had to inspect and replace the segmented sprocket, bolts had to be loosened to dismantle. This led to uneven tightening of the sprocket bolts and uneven wear patterns on the cast sprocket teeth.TSUBAKI SOLUTION:
The customer decided to switch to Tsubaki’s steel boot sprocket with wear indicator for their application. Wear Indicators provide visual indication that a sprocket is still within the allowable wear tolerance, and when replacement is required. Tsubaki wear indicator technology suited this application – the customer managed to save on maintenance man-hours as well as sprocket inspection being made easier with the wear indicator technology. Visual inspection was all that’s needed – no sprocket disassembly required.COST SAVINGS:
In terms of price, Tsubaki sprocket was 50% more than the competitor’s. However, the life span increased by 140% saving the customer $1600 and counting.
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Tech Time
Tsubaki SMART TOOTH™ Sprockets
By: Derek GlugoshSprocket Product ManagerThis document describes Tsubaki’s patented SMART TOOTH technology features and benefits.SMART TOOTH technology is a simple visual identifier indicating when a sprocket has worn past its usable life and needs to be replaced. Wear indicator pins are strategically inserted into the thrust faces of the sprocket tooth where the resultant pressure angle of the chain roller creates wear. Eventually as the tooth profile recedes over time in service, the wear indicator pin becomes exposed visually identifying that it is time to replace the sprocket.Figure 1: Wear indicator pin and tooth edge showing a sprocket with plenty of life remainingTsubaki SMART TOOTH offers users the ability to identify and schedule drive system maintenance. Predictable downtime is essential to cost effective part replacement ensuring critical component failure does not occur. Implementation of Tsubaki wear indicator technology makes sense for applications that are driven by capital equipment, or where non-scheduled downtime is simply not acceptable.Figure 2: Wear indicator pins and tooth edge showing a sprocket that has worn past its usable life and ready to be replaced.Tsubaki SMART TOOTH Program Details
Tsubaki SMART TOOTH sprockets stand apart from all other sprockets in the industry. One set of wear indicator pins come STANDARD on every sprocket (front & back) ensuring they are visible on any application no matter the installation. Next, Tsubaki has included the latest laser etching technology in which Tsubaki “SMART TOOTH” will be etched directly below the wear indicator pins providing even more visibility to the end user. The etching will occur on the Hub If there is not enough room below the tooth. Finally all Tsubaki SMART TOOTH sprockets are shipped with a special blue coating making it easy to identify which sprockets have wear indicators vs. which ones do not.Figure 3 illustrates a SMART TOOTH sprocket with one set of wear indicator pins, painted Tsubaki blue and laser etchingChain Life:
Proper chain and sprocket engagement is essential to maximize the life of your chain. When chains and sprockets articulate correctly, the life of the chain is extended. This means long term savings and real value for any application. Sprockets have several points of high-friction contact with a roller chain, which is important to efficient rotation, but also wears the sprocket and roller chain quickly. Once a sprocket has worn past its usable life poor fit, alignment and chain wrap will occur resulting in loss of tension, jumped chain, drive slipping and catastrophic failure. Ultimately by using worn sprockets chain wear accelerates at an exponential rate causing the life of the chain to be reduced by up to 50%.Figure 4: Sprocket teeth worn past its usable lifeProgram:
ANSI Roller Chain sprocketsNorth American sprockets adhere to ANSI code B 29.1, which regulates design, dimensions, and interchangeability within a chain drive. ANSI covers eight different strand types of sprockets: single-strand, double-strand, triple-strand, and multiple strands 4, 5, 6, 8, 10. ANSI sprockets are also designated with a preferred number description regarding tooth pitch in relation to the pitch of the chain calculated in 1/8” intervals. (Example, 40 chain would have a pitch of four-eighths of an inch, or 1/2”). SMART TOOTH wear indicator technology comes Standard on all MTO ANSI roller chain sprockets with a sell price of $1,000 or more, 80 pitch and higher and manufactured at the Tsubaki plant in Mississauga, Canada.Stainless steel sprockets are not included in the SMART TOOTH program but can be added upon request. Stainless steel sprockets are widely utilized in food grade applications due to its non-rusting characteristics. Wear indicator pins and laser etching will be included on these sprockets but will not be painted blue due to strict health regulations.Figure 5: 120-6W61 sprockets with SMART TOOTH wear Indicator pins, laser etching and blue finish.MTO ANSI roller chain sprocket teeth can be hardened or non-hardened based on the application and request from the customer. Wear indicator pins can be inserted into both soft and hardened teeth providing more flexibility to the customer. Hardness is a characteristic of a material and defined as the resistance to indentation by measuring the permanent depth of the indentation. All Tsubaki stock sprockets are hardened to RC35-50 standard which greatly enhances both sprocket and chain life while reducing the risk of failure.Figure 6: RS48-3C30 ANSI C-style sprocket with SMART TOOTH Wear Indicator Pins, laser etching and blue finishSMART TOOTH technology also applies to type A, B and C plain or finished bore hubs along with Taper-Lock, Split taper, XT and QD style sprockets. Style A sprockets are flat with no hub, Style B has a hub on one side only and Style C sprockets have hubs on both sides.QD (quick detach) style sprockets are used where higher working loads are prevalent and higher clamp loading on the drive shaft is desirable. QD bushings are flanged utilizing large anchor bolts to retain itself to the sprocket while aligning the sprocket 90 degrees to the drive shaft assuring proper alignment.Taper-Lock sprocket bushings are similar to QD style bushings in that they both utilize a split through both the taper and flange to provide a true clamp on the shaft that is equivalent to a shrink fit. The bushing is retained to the sprocket with a series of set screws or if desired can be welded to the sprocket itself. The main advantage of TL sprockets is the ability to utilize multiple sized bores for a single bushing size.Engineering Class SprocketsEngineering class sprockets vary from ANSI roller chain in that they do not follow ANSI code B 29.1, regulations and will typically have custom tooth profiles. Tsubaki SMART TOOTH is available on all engineering class sprocket sizes no matter what the tooth profile with a sell price of $1,000 or more and manufactured at the Tsubaki plant in Mississauga, Canada.Figure 7: Engineering class sprocket outfitted with Tsubaki SMART TOOTH technologyThere are 3 barriers which prevent users from replacing sprockets which ultimately costs end users more money over time.Barrier 1⦁ Cost of sprockets (expensive to replace)Replacing sprockets can be expensive, specifically specialty made-to-order sprockets which can be highly technical and complex. These sprockets may also have long manufacturing lead times which can prove detrimental when last minute replacements are necessary.SMART TOOTH sprockets provide an easy visual indicator of how much sprocket life is left allowing for users to schedule maintenance downtime well in advance. This ensures worn sprockets are not left running and last minute sprocket will no longer be necessary. The price of sprockets are unfortunately a cost of doing business but customers now have the advantage of planning for this expense over time no longer guessing or waiting till the last minute to replace their sprockets.Barrier 2⦁ Measuring sprocket wear.There are little-known standards for checking and measuring sprocket wear. Few people know how to do it and most will just do a visual inspection of the sprocket teeth making an educated guess when to replace. Others times sprockets are only changed when replacing the chain which can result in throwing away good sprockets costing large sums of wasted money over time.Customers no longer need to guess if a sprocket should be replaced eliminating wasted money.Barrier 3⦁ Complexity of removing sprockets.Removing sprockets can be both time-consuming and complex causing long undesirable last minute downtimes. As a result, many companies choose not to replace sprockets running their equipment long past replacement dates. When there is no indication or reminder of when to change sprockets, it is easier to ignore resulting in shorter chain life, elongation and poor fit.Tsubaki sprocket wear indicator technology assures maximum uptime and drive system efficiency by providing visual confirmation of excessive sprocket wear. Incorporating this patented technology into MTO ANSI and engineering class sprockets reduces overall system costs by offering predictable maintenance intervals to avoid catastrophic failure.
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On the Move Newsletter!
The latest information on
Tsubaki innovation and
technical data! Click here >>
Issue 40
- Tsubaki News: Zip chain actuator special features
- Cost Savings Highlight: Providing Solutions to Common Actuator Problems in Today’s Industry – Part 1
- Tech Time: Common Methods of Use
Issue 39
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Advantage offers web-based equipment management
- Cost Savings Highlight: Solve your Robot Issues with Tsubaki’s Robotrax
- Tech Time: Next Generation Tsubaki Leaf Chains
Issue 38
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Pin Gear Drive Unit Replaces Gear Rack Systems
- Cost Savings Highlight: Pin Gear Drive Units Nomenclature
- Tech Time: Pin Gear Drive Selection Procedure
Issue 37
- Tsubaki News: Pony Series Steel Bushed Chains – Elevator Chains
- Cost Savings Highlight: Roof Truss Press
- Tech Time:Tsubaki’s Products Add Value to Your Operation
Issue 36
- Tsubaki News: Engineering Chain - Elevator Types & Buckets
- Cost Savings Highlight:One-Touch Inspection Door® gives you easy access to your conveyors
- Tech Time: Roller Chain and Sprockets Troubleshooting Guide - Pin Related Issues
Issue 35
- Tsubaki News: G8 Series Heavy Duty Chains and Sprockets
- Cost Savings Highlight:Combat High Speed and Accelerated Elongation with Tsubaki’s Titan Chain
- Tech Time: Roller Chain and Sprockets Troubleshooting Guide – Link Plate Related Issues
Issue 34
- Tsubaki News: Bulk Material Handling Assemblies
- Cost Savings Highlight: Overhead Gantry Crane
- Tech Time: Roller Chain and Sprockets Troubleshooting Guide
Issue 33
- Tsubaki News: Asphalt Chain
- Cost Savings Highlight: Sawmill 90-Degree Conveyor
- Tech Time: How to Minimize Mechanical Wear on Chains
Issue 32
- Tsubaki News: Scan & Plan
- Cost Savings Highlight: Cam Clutch
- Tech Time: Custom Sprocket Capabilities
Issue 31
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Chain Configurator
- Cost Savings Highlight: Super Stainless Chain
- Tech Time: Super Stainless Sprockets
Issue 30
- Tsubaki News: Introducing Super Stainless Steel Chain
- Cost Savings Highlight: Workhorse Elevator Chains
- Tech Time: Chains for Asphalt and Paving Industry
Issue 29
- Tsubaki News: Where It All Began
- Cost Savings Highlight: Bushings for Sprockets
- Tech Time: Varitrak S/SX Series
Issue 28
- Tsubaki News: Energy Series for Cold Harsh Environments
- Cost Savings Highlight: Energy Series Sprockets
- Tech Time: Extended Travel Support Systems
Issue 27
- Tsubaki News: Automotive Parts
- Cost Savings Highlight: 4 Reasons to Use Tsubaki Advantage
- Tech Time: Importance of Strain Relief
Issue 26
- Tsubaki News: Power Transmission Video
- Cost Savings Highlight: Introducing STAGE-1
- Tech Time: Solutions to Harsh Environments
Issue 25
- Tsubaki News: G8 Series Intro
- Cost Savings Highlight: G8 Neptune & G8 Lambda
- Tech Time: G8 Heavy Duty Drive Chain
Issue 24
- Tsubaki News: G8 Series Drive Chain
- Cost Savings Highlight: Chain Inspection
- Tech Time: Diasaw Website
Issue 23
- Tsubaki News: Hardened Sprockets
- Cost Savings Highlight: Stone Elevator Sprocket with Wear Indicator
- Tech Time: SMART TOOTH™ Sprockets
Issue 22
- Tsubaki News: 100 Years Video
- Cost Savings Highlight: Power-Lock
- Tech Time: Power-Lock Selection Guide
Issue 21
- Tsubaki News: Cam Clutch Solutions
- Cost Savings Highlight: Cost Effective, Not Costly
- Tech Time: Backstop Size Selection
Issue 20
- Tsubaki News: Titan Series Chains
- Cost Savings Highlight: Rotary Drum Furnace
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 4 - Corrosion
Issue 19
- Tsubaki News: Heavy Duty and Super Series Chains
- Cost Savings Highlight: Chain Failure
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 3 - Tensile & Fatigue Failure
Issue 18
- Tsubaki News: Engineered Class Chain in Harsh Environment
- Cost Savings Highlight: SJ3 Sealed Chain Design
- Tech Time: Tsubaki WORKHORSE Elevator Chain
Issue 17
- Tsubaki News: Smart Tooth Sprockets
- Cost Savings Highlight: Incline Chip Conveyor
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 2 - Mechanical Wear
Issue 16
- Tsubaki News: On the Move
- Cost Savings Highlight: Synthetic Gypsum Bucket Elevator
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal
Issue 15
- Tsubaki News: Scan And Plan
- Cost Savings Highlight: Edger Drive
- Tech Time: Using old sprockets with new chain
Issue 14
- Tsubaki News: More Innovation from Tsubaki!
- Cost Savings Highlight: Looper Exit
- Tech Time: Matching and Tagging: High Accuracy, Narrow Tolerance
Issue 13
- Tsubaki News: LAUNCH OF TSUBAKI OF CANADA'S SITE FOR KABELSCHLEPP
- Cost Savings: Debarker Drive
- Tech Time: To Idle or not to Idle, and where to put it
Issue 12
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki KabelSchlepp’s New TKA Series Cable & Hose Carriers
- Cost Savings: Edger Infeed Table
- Tech Time: Choosing the right chain for the job at hand
Issue 11
- Tsubaki News: BLUE THUNDER IS COMING!
- Cost Savings: Smart Gates/ Spreader Chains
- Tech Time: Flame vs. Induction Hardening
Issue 10
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Advantage Power Play Contest
- Cost Savings: Chocolate Forming Line
- Tech Time: Choosing the Correct Attachment Chain For the Job At Hand
Issue 9
Issue 8
- Tsubaki News: Meet New President Kevin Powers
- Cost Savings: Sawmill Optimizer
- Tech Time: Tsubaki Super Chain
Issue 7
- Tsubaki News: Discover your Tsubaki Advantage
- Cost Savings: Sorter Drive
- Tech Time: Sprocket Wear Indicators
Issue 6
- Tsubaki News: Discover Your Advantage with Tsubaki's Engineered Chain
- Cost Savings Highlight: Lumber Planer Mill
- Tech Time: There’s an app for that.........
Issue 5
- Tsubaki News: Kabelschlepp Division
- Product Focus: Conduflex
- Selecting the Proper Carrier Bend Radius & Mounting Height for Cables & Hose Carriers
Issue 4
Issue 3
- Tsubaki News – Tsubaki of Canada Limited achieves ISO 14001 accreditation
- Gypsum Plant
- Pitch Line Clearance
Issue 2
Issue 1
Tsubaki Advantage
- Tsubaki News: Scan & Plan
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Chain Configurator
- Tsubaki News: Introducing Super Stainless Steel Chain
- Tsubaki News: Where It All Began
- Tsubaki News: Energy Series for Cold Harsh Environments
- Tsubaki News: Automotive Parts
- Tsubaki News: Power Transmission Video
- Tsubaki News: G8 Series Intro
- Tsubaki News: G8 Series Drive Chain
- Tsubaki News: Hardened Sprockets
- Tsubaki News: 100 Years Video
- Tsubaki News: Cam Clutch Solutions
- Tsubaki News: Titan Series Chains
- Tsubaki News: Heavy Duty and Super Series Chains
- Tsubaki News: Engineered Class Chain in Harsh Environments
- Tsubaki News: Smart Tooth Sprockets
- Tsubaki News: On the Move
- Tsubaki News: Scan And Plan
- Tsubaki News: More Innovation from Tsubaki!
- Tsubaki News: LAUNCH OF TSUBAKI OF CANADA'S SITE FOR KABELSCHLEPP
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki KabelSchlepp’s New TKA Series Cable & Hose Carriers
- Tsubaki News: BLUE THUNDER IS COMING!
- Tsubaki News: Tsubaki Advantage Power Play Contest
- Tsubaki News: Now On Social Media
- Tsubaki News: Meet New President Kevin Powers
- Tsubaki News: Discover your Tsubaki Advantage
- Tsubaki News: Discover Your Advantage with Tsubaki's Engineered Chain
- Tsubaki News: Kabelschlepp Division
- Launch of Tsubaki’s First-Ever Virtual Plant Tour
- Tsubaki News – Tsubaki of Canada Limited achieves ISO 14001 accreditation
- Tsubaki News – Engineered Chain
- Introduction to Tsubaki Advantage
Cost Savings
- Cost Savings Highlight: Cam Clutch
- Cost Savings Highlight: Super Stainless Chain
- Cost Savings Highlight: Workhorse Elevator Chains
- Cost Savings Highlight: Bushings for Sprockets
- Cost Savings Highlight: Energy Series Sprockets
- Cost Savings Highlight: 4 Reasons to Use Tsubaki Advantage
- Cost Savings Highlight: Introducing STAGE-1
- Cost Savings Highlight: G8 Neptune & G8 Lambda
- Cost Savings Highlight: Chain Inspection
- Cost Savings Highlight: Stone Elevator Sprocket with Wear Indicator
- Cost Savings Highlight: Power-Lock
- Cost Savings Highlight: Cost Effective, Not Costly
- Cost Savings Highlight: Rotary Drum Furnace
- Cost Savings: Chain Failure
- Cost Savings: SJ3 Sealed Chain Design
- Cost Savings: Incline Chip Conveyor
- Cost Savings Highlight: Synthetic Gypsum Bucket Elevator
- Cost Savings Highlight: Edger Drive
- Cost Savings Highlight: Looper Exit
- Cost Savings: Debarker Drive
- Cost Savings: Edger Infeed Table
- Cost Savings: Smart Gates/ Spreader Chains
- Cost Savings: Chocolate Forming Line
- Cost Savings: Lumber Sorter
- Cost Savings: Sawmill Optimizer
- Cost Savings: Sorter Drive
- Cost Savings Highlight: Lumber Planer Mill
- Product Focus: Conduflex
- Inclined Chips Conveyors
- Gypsum Plant
- Surface Exploration Drill
- Cost Savings Highlight
Tech Talk
- Tech Time: Custom Sprocket Capabilities
- Tech Time: Super Stainless Sprockets
- Tech Time: Chains for Asphalt and Paving Industry
- Tech Time: Varitrak S/SX Series
- Tech Time: Extended Travel Support Systems
- Tech Time: Importance of Strain Relief
- Tech Time: Solutions to Harsh Environments
- Tech Time: G8 Heavy Duty Drive Chain
- Tech Time: Diasaw Website
- Tech Time: SMART TOOTH™ Sprockets
- Tech Time: Power-Lock Selection Guide
- Tech Time: Backstop Size Selection
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 4 - Corrosion
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 3 - Tensile & Fatigue Failure
- Tech Time: Tsubaki WORHORSE Elevator Chain
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal Part 2 - Mechanical Wear
- Tech Time: Not All Chains Are Created Equal
- Tech Time: Using old sprockets with new chain
- Tech Time: Matching and Tagging: High Accuracy, Narrow Tolerance
- Tech Time: To Idle or not to Idle, and where to put it
- Tech Time: Choosing the right chain for the job at hand
- Tech Time: Flame vs. Induction Hardening
- Tech Time: Choosing the Correct Attachment Chain For the Job At Hand
- Tech Time: Energy Series Chain
- Tech Time: Tsubaki Super Chain
- Tech Time: Sprocket Wear Indicators
- Tech Time: There’s an app for that.........
- Selecting the Proper Carrier Bend Radius & Mounting Height for Cables & Hose Carriers
- Stick Slip
- Pitch Line Clearance
- Strain Relief
- Double Pitch Roller Chain Sprockets