Sweet success chain installed on ice cream plant palletisers

The challenges of modern ice cream production

Propping up the majority of this large sector of the food and beverage industry are ice cream plants. Designed to operate with high efficiency to maximise profits per unit, these facilities rely on equipment that can operate in an application environment that, in many places, is well below freezing and laden with moisture. For example, ice cream is cooled to a holding temperature of around -25°C for storage⁴. This presents increased corrosion and fatigue risks to engineered equipment.

These conditions can be exacerbated by the seasonal demand for ice cream. During the winter months, with December a notable exception, demand for ice cream falls. To reduce surplus, some facilities will scale back operations during this period. However, in summer, demand rises, which will cause facility operators to maximise available production capacity to capitalise. The inherent challenges of the application environment and the yoyoing of production intensity can cause equipment to fail prematurely. This risks facility uptime and profitability. Standard chains installed at ice cream plants are especially susceptible, so a specialised solution is needed.

Capitalising with specialised chains

As a German ice cream plant increased its production schedule from five to seven days a week to meet summer demand, engineers on-site noticed the service life of the chains installed on the pallet lifters was adversely affected. The pallet lifters were operating in a sub-zero ice cream storage area, moving heavy loads across the facility.

The nickel-plated, 16B-1 roller chains were designed to lift loads of up to 800kg. The lifter itself was driven by a 1.5 KW motor at 32 rpm. Over a five-day production schedule, the lifetime of each chain averaged to around 2 years before replacement was required. However, as production was moved to a seven-day schedule, the average service life of the installed chains fell to only six months. The inner links of the chains were breaking due to increased fatigue, a result of the combination of intense duty requirements and the cold application environment. This resulted in palletisers requiring increased maintenance work, which was reducing efficiency and increasing repair costs.

To solve the issue, engineers contacted Tsubaki, a global designer and leading manufacturer of premium quality drive & conveyor chain for most industries ranging from food & beverage to the steel industry.

After an initial inspection, Tsubaki engineers worked closely with the engineers at the plant to specify a new roller chain that would maximise reliability and reduce maintenance. The RS16B-1 Neptune chain was selected, which offered a 20% maximum allowable load (MAL) compared to the original chain. Another key aspect was the Neptune’s inherent resistance to corrosion. A specialised coating provides exceptional protection against the debilitating effects of condensation in the low temperature storage area.

The Neptune chain was able to greatly improve chain service life during the high intensity production period, eliminating premature link breakages. Maintenance requirements for the palletisers were consequently reduced, minimising repair costs and maximising uptime. Specifically honed for hard operation in a low temperature environment, the Neptune chain allowed the German ice cream plant to effectively capitalise on summer demand.