EPDM Conveyor Chain Grippers: A Guide
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Though common, traditional roller conveyors are insufficient for many types of loads—production lines transporting oversized or extremely heavy components, for instance, must take a different approach. Conveyer chain grippers present a simple, low-maintenance system for handling unwieldy industrial loads. Rubber grippers attach to a metal chain conveyor and grab on to the sides of a product, securing it so that it can be conveyed at virtually any angle.
Houston Products, Inc. provides a full catalog of high-performance rubber conveyor chain grippers to suit industrial settings ranging from food and beverage, to blow molding, to paper manufacturing, and many more.
Chain Conveyors
Chain conveyors are useful for continuous or indexed conveyance and work in both horizontal or vertical setups. The standard chain conveyor arrangement involves two parallel chain tracks, each of which has a metal base covered in precision-engineered rubber grippers. The two chains grip the product between them so that it can be conveyed at various angles. This arrangement of parallel rubber grippers allows for fine control throughout transport without damaging or dropping the products.
Gripper chain conveyors are often necessary when transporting components within a limited space. Additionally, some conveyors are rated to carry loads as heavy as 3,000 pounds. To account for this, all grippers are designed from high-performance rubber compounds for maximum durability and stability. By using EPDM rubber rather than standard neoprene rubber, these applications gain the advantage of corrosion and temperature resistance. This makes grippers suitable for moving products through confined high-temperature areas, such as ovens.
Houston Products’ Chain Conveyors and Grippers
Houston Products specializes in high-performance chain grippers for all industrial conveyor applications. Our product line includes a variety of sizes, including mini grippers.
All our standard grippers use FDA-compliant EPDM rubber rather than the more common neoprene used by many of our competitors. Many manufacturers default to neoprene because of its lower price point, but as a lower level rubber compound, it lacks the durability and chemical resistance of EPDM rubber. We prioritize enduring quality above all else, so we choose EPDM wherever possible.
Our full range of grippers includes:
- Soft-touch grippers
- Mini grippers
- D-style grippers
- Finger grippers (including three- and four-finger grippers)
We can also provide fully-assembled chains with your choice of base material and gripper style.
Most shapes are available in a variety of colors, hardness levels, and temperature ratings. Our qualified team can consider all factors specific to your facility to identify the most appropriate solution.
Applications and Industries
Our grippers are suitable for elevators, lowerators, and other conveyor configurations, including transport through ovens, sanitizers, and other high-temperature environments. We can also customize solutions for clients with highly individualized needs.
Our products have seen wide usage in applications such as:
- Automotive (motor oil)
- Beverage manufacturing (bottling)
- Consumer packaged goods (packaged food, cased products)
- Food manufacturing (cooking oils)
- Blow molding (plastic bottle manufacturing)
- Industrial conveyers, elevators, and lowerators
- OEM
- Paper manufacturing (paper towels)
- Pharmaceutical (cartons)
- Rinsing equipment and sterilizers
Houston Products, Inc. Conveyor Solutions
Houston Products, Inc. has dedicated years of research to developing our proprietary EPDM blend, resulting in higher-performance grippers at a lower cost to our clients. We cater to a diverse clientele with our extensive line of gripper designs and a willingness to fulfill custom orders.
Contact Us today for more information about grippers from Houston Products.