Keep Gaining in the Grain Industry with These Conveyor Troubleshooting Tips

From the quarter horse to the iron horse to today’s modern farm equipment, farmers and ag professionals have found quicker ways to move their harvest and increase their yield for centuries. 

But with greater technological advancements come other kinds of troubles. If your grain conveyor stops moving your materials, you can’t just hook another horse to it and keep on keeping on.

With thin margins and a tight turnaround, there’s no time for downtime. If conveyor systems break down, the whole supply chain experiences disruptions. 

We understand the ag industry’s need for machinery that can withstand the day-to-day wear and tear of running en-masse and drag grain conveyors. As a one-stop shop with domestic manufacturing, Webster carries in-stock chains and sprockets, along with complete chain assemblies with custom attachments and paddles.  To make it easier on our customers, we offer top-notch service and competitive lead times.

Let’s break down the most common breakdowns with conveying systems in the grain industry:

Broken Sidebars on Your Grain Conveyor

Typically, sidebars only break as a result of being overloaded or due to obstructions. It’s tempting to push more grain through faster, but product overload can kill your conveyor system, resulting in even longer downtimes.  

If your sidebar is breaking under normal use, you might want to consider upgrading your chain.

Worn Out Grain Conveyor Chain

You can extend the life of your conveyor and prevent breakdowns by regularly addressing chain wear. A chain will wear down and break first at the pin before it ever breaks at the sidebar. The pin undergoes the most stress from normal operating conditions and gradually weakens from use until the pin breaks.

Obviously, it’s a lot cheaper to run regular maintenance checks to catch a worn out piece of equipment than it is to deal with damaged equipment. All of that downtime has a ripple effect on your supply chain. 

We can help you set a regular preventative maintenance routine with your in-house mechanic — consult with us for preventative maintenance recommendations for chains and conveyors. 

Wrong Conveyor Chain Altogether

Sometimes damage to your conveyor system is the result of using too light of a chain. Similar problems occur when there’s too wide of a flight on too narrow of a chain.

A good rule of thumb is the 5-to-1 rule: the maximum overall width of the flight should be no more than five times the narrow end of the chain.

Poor quality parts result in longer downtimes. 

We understand the ag industry’s need for machinery that can withstand the day-to-day wear and tear of running en-masse and drag grain conveyors. Stainless steel material and different heat treatment options increase the longevity of chains, pins, sidebars, and flights for the grain industry so that you can stay up and running far longer than before, increasing your productivity and profits in the process.

Addressing Your Grain Conveyor Issues

Breakdowns happen. We want to help you prevent them and address them when they do sneak up on you. We can troubleshoot your grain conveyor inefficiencies and conduct regular wear analyses to determine the right time to replace conveyor parts. 

As specialists in manufacturing quality mill chains, SBR chains, sprockets, and UHMW flights for drag and en masse conveyors, you can count on us to keep your conveyors moving for seamless grain conveyance.

Give us a call. We are readily available 24/7 - 365 days a year and willing to help you troubleshoot immediate conveyor challenges you’re facing. We can make sure that your grain conveyor system keeps moving with the best conveyor and chain equipment in place. 

Call today or contact us now.