Sprockets keep things moving in the mill and while plastics offer advantages over metals in countless applications the humble sprocket is where plastics can help the most. And there are three big ways plastics save your mill money over their life-cycle and reduce maintenance downtime.
1.) Reduced Weight
Redco™ 750 sprockets are up to 50% lighter than comparable metal (steel) sprockets. This means they are easier to install, without compromising strength, and leads to additional benefits.
2.) Less Power Consumption & Wear
Redco™ 750 sprockets are lighter and run smoother with the chain. This results in reduced horsepower requirements saving on electricity costs. An additional benefit is reduced noise and we all know how noise limits can be strictly enforced. Much of this is due to the elastomeric properties of the polyurethane material. What this means is that although the sprockets are hard, solid material – the sprocket is still softer than steel and will reduce chain wear (and also be less noisy).
3.) Corrosion Resistance
This is an advantage you might not consider: metal rusts and corrodes and plastic doesn’t. Let’s be honest, in many applications this corrosion doesn’t present problems right away – but sprockets would be an exception. Rusty or corroded teeth or hubs would greatly increase wear on chain and also likely spike the power requirements of the chain. Plastic sprockets won’t do that – because they’ll never rust.
For information or quotation on Redwood Plastics’ sprockets please contact us.
