A roller chain consists of five essential components: outer plate, inner plate, pin, bush, and roller. These components are assembled into inner and outer links, which together form the structure of roller chains<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Roller chains can be connected either to another chain or to other mechanical components. There are two main types of connecting methods: connecting link and offset link.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Most roller chains consist of an odd number of links plus one connecting link to form an even-numbered chain. There are two types:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Offset link can be used when an odd number of chain links is required. There are two types:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To standardize roller chains and ensure compatibility with sprockets, international standards<\/a> have been established. Roller chains are generally categorized into two main standards:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Governed by the American National Standards Institute, ANSI chains and sprockets must comply with ANSI B29.1.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Governed by European standards and compliant with ISO 606.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You can determine various specifications of roller chains from their part numbers:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The American Standard is measured in 1\/8 inch so the first digit in the roller part number identify the pitch of 1\/8 inch increment. For example, from the part number ANSI 40, we could identify the pitch is 4\/8 inch (equal to 1\/2 inch). The part number could be 3 digits for larger size. For example, ANSI 120 could be identified as the pitch is 12\/8 inch (equal to 1-1\/2 inch).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The British Standard is measured in 1\/16 inch so the digits in the roller chain part number identify the pitch of 1\/16 inch increment. For example, the pitch of 08B could be identified as 8\/16 inch (equal to 1\/2 inch) and 20B is identified as 20\/16 inch (equal to 1-1\/4 inch).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Heavy duty\u00a0roller chains are available in both ANSI and BS series. These chains are manufactured with thicker side plates for increased strength. They can be identified by adding “H<\/strong>” in the part number. For example, ANSI 100H and BS 12BH.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n >check more information for ANSI Heavy Duty roller chain<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n >check more information for BS Heavy Duty roller chain<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Straight sidebar roller chains are also at optional for both ANSI and BS series. The side plate with a straight profile instead of the standard figure-8 shape. The identified code in a part number is \u201cF\u201d. For example, ANSI 60F and BS 12BF.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n >check more information for ANSI Straight Sidebar roller chain<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n >check more information for BS Straight Sidebar roller chain<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Based on the different strength requirement for the application, customers may select single, double (duplex), or triple (triplex) strand roller chains. MAXTOP offers chains up to triple strand. In the part number, strands are indicated by adding a hyphen followed by the strand number.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n In summary, roller chains remain one of the most widely used solutions for mechanical power transmission across various industries. Their durability, simple design, and easy maintenance make them essential components in everything from conveyor systems to motorcycles. By selecting the right roller chain for your application and following proper chain maintenance practices, you can ensure efficient operation, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of your machinery.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn what roller chain is, how it\u2019s constructed, and where it’s used in industrial applications.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":1457,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[166],"tags":[170],"class_list":["post-2145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chain-knowledge","tag-roller-chain-knowledge"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/migra\/blog\/ea1c1d8350e11804c8ed3af45e5767d7f5c40243.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2145"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4337,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145\/revisions\/4337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Roller-Chain-Structure-1024x359.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Roller Chain Connection<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Connecting link<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Connecting-Links-1024x512.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOffset link<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Offset-Links-1024x512.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Are the Types of Roller Chain?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
American Standard (ANSI)<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
British Standard (BS)<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
How to Identify Roller Chain Part Number?<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
American Standard Chain Pitch:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
American Standard Specification:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ANSI-Roller-Chain-Part-number-System-1024x512.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBritish Standard Chain Pitch:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mccchains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/BS-Roller-Chain-Part-number-System-1024x512.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nHeavy Duty Roller Chains<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Straight Sidebar Roller Chains<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Strands of Roller Chains<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n
\r\n Series<\/td>\r\n Chain No.<\/td>\r\n Heavy Duty<\/td>\r\n Straight Sidebar<\/td>\r\n Single Strand<\/td>\r\n Duplex Strand<\/td>\r\n Triplex Strand<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\n ANSI<\/a><\/td>\r\n 50<\/td>\r\n 50H<\/td>\r\n 50F<\/td>\r\n 50<\/td>\r\n 50-2<\/td>\r\n 50-3<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n \r\n BS<\/a><\/td>\r\n 10B<\/td>\r\n 10BH<\/td>\r\n 10BF<\/td>\r\n 10B<\/td>\r\n 10B-2<\/td>\r\n 10B-3<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Conclusion<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n