When a major case-handling line began chewing through chain and stoppages mounted, Motion and Regal Rexnord partnered to retrofit with LF600 and LF600TAB low-friction case conveyor chains – delivering smoother accumulation, longer service life and less maintenance across demanding shifts.
In high-throughput food and beverage plants, case conveyors don’t get a day off. They run through dust, washdowns, tight radii and mixed product loads – and any drag, jamming or premature wear quickly shows up as downtime. That was the brief when Motion was asked to improve performance on a busy packaging hall with compact curves and constant accumulation. The answer combined proven hardware and local know-how: Regal Rexnord’s LF600 straight-running chain and LF600TAB tabbed chain, selected, supplied and supported by Motion.
The challenge
Operators were replacing large lengths of chain each maintenance cycle, fighting rising pull at the headshaft and nursing scuff-prone accumulation zones. Tight corners limited layout options, and hygiene protocols demanded easy cleaning with minimal disassembly. The goal was simple: keep cases moving, reduce wear on both chain and wearstrips, and cut the frequency of interventions.
The solution
Motion’s team specified Regal Rexnord LF600 for straight sections and LF600TAB for radius runs. Both use Rexnord’s LF® low-friction acetal, which reduces sliding resistance at the wearstrip and between product and chain. The lower friction material, and lower headshaft tension also reduces energy consumption. In practice, that means lower chain pull, better accumulation behaviour and fewer nuisance stops. The LF600TAB brings a positive hold-down through curves, helping the chain track cleanly at higher loads and speeds without lifting. A tight minimum turning radius and improved pin fastening make it easier to carry heavy loads in a small footprint, while the open-top, solid-side-bar geometry supports fast cleaning in hygiene-critical areas.
“On these lines, every percent of friction shows up as heat, wear and stoppages,” says Troy Markland, Product Manager – Power Transmission at Motion. “By moving to low-friction materials and a tabbed chain in the curves, we stabilised accumulation, reduced headshaft tension and extended service intervals—without redesigning the whole conveyor …
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