Additionally, for maximum service life, the
correct materials heat treated correctly is the key
to making chains last. Too many manufactures
depend on third party sources to do their
heat treatment. This opens the door for major
issues with poor results that affects the overall
performance and strength of the chain. Actively
seek-out chain manufacturers that maintain an
internal heat treat department that is fully ISO
certified – these manufactures will have great
control over the quality of their process and end
product, thus suppling higher quality chain.
It is also vitally important that the
manufacturer test their chain on a regular basis
and certifies that their products meet or exceed
design specifications. Cheaper chain comes from
companies that only test their chains if something
goes wrong.
Overall performance and service is very
important. More times than not, you the customer
will only see a flashy sales person that promises
the world at the lowest price. You should have
a relationship, not just with the sales person
but also with your chain manufacturer and their
engineers. Great chain comes from manufacturers
with engineers that are in the field looking at
applications and meeting with customers to assure
they are meeting their needs and requirements
at every turn. With such a critical component as
elevator chain, you deserve to have a qualified
professional chain engineer to always be there.
Three common causes of catastrophic chain
failure
Problem: poor quality materials
So what causes premature chain failure? It really
boils down to a few key areas: inconsistent
materials that cannot be heat treated correctly,
or uncontrolled poor heat treatment. Being able
to spot those issues without proper equipment is
impossible. But consider this: We live in a global
economy with products coming from all over
the globe. While this creates a more favorable
economic climate for buying millions of different
products, not all materials are of the same quality.
To put this into perspective, let’s say you’re building
a deck on the back of your home, and you go to
your local hardware store to buy the lumber you
need, and find some lumber at a surprisingly low
cost. Before buying that lumber you inspect the
boards for straightness, knots, and imperfections –
looking for the best quality pieces of wood for your
project.
But what if imperfections were throughout the
middle of the wood? Unless you have x-ray vision,
you won’t see them. So you build this great looking
deck on the back of your house, and over the next
