Roller Chain - Lubrication

Lubrication

Many driving chains (for example, in factory equipment, or driving a camshaft inside an internal combustion engine) operate in clean environments, and thus the wearing surfaces (that is, the pins and bushings) are safe from precipitation and airborne grit, many even in a sealed environment such as an oil bath.

But many other industrial-use chains run unprotected, and in those cases, internally sealed roller chain manufacturers such as Tsubaki, Renold, Diamond, Morse, and Rexnord produce low-maintenance versions wherein o-rings or x-rings seal in the lubricant for life.

There are also many chains that have to operate in dirty conditions, and for size or operational reasons cannot be sealed. Examples include chains on farm equipment, bicycles, and chain saws. These chains will necessarily have relatively high rates of wear, particularly when the operators are prepared to accept more friction, less efficiency, more noise and more frequent replacement as they neglect lubrication and adjustment.