Sponsored story: Evolutionary chain

In 1880 Hans Renold invented the bush roller chain, having founded the Hans Renold Company, in Salford, the year before. A hundred years later, when Eureka launched, the basic design had remained the same but Renold had become an international power transmission company, and the name Renold was synonymous with high quality, precision engineering. During that first 100 years Renold pioneered the use of enhanced manufacturing techniques such as shot peening, and developed advanced designs such as seamless bushes and roller ends, high-waisted plates, curled bushes and other innovations that were delivering longer wear life on industrial machinery that was becoming increasingly more demanding. In more recent times technology has been developed that has resulted in a whole new breed of transmission chains designed to combat specific problems, and Renold refers to this new range as Solution Chain. For instance, on some applications lubricating chain might be difficult or undesirable and so Renold developed Syno, a lubrication-free chain. Syno is dry to the touch, with all the lubricant contained within an ingenious sintered bush that releases just the right amount onto the bearing surfaces when the chain is operational. When the machinery is switched off all the lubricant returns to the bush and there is no possibility of product contamination. In 2000 Renold launched Synergy a chain delivering astonishing wear resistance and longevity for arduous applications, and wherever short chain life might be a problem. Some companies cost out machine downtime at upwards of 50K an hour and with Synergy lasting six times longer than the next best product on the market it has helped many factories cut downtime and make significant savings. Renold now have a whole range of solution chain products designed to provide high performance and longer wear life on applications where environmental issues and mechanical factors would cause rapid wear on standard chain. The application of new technology is also enabling Renold to help OEMs design better products, often with unique selling points and clear customer advantages. In 1999 Renold launched Smartlink, an electronic sensor unit that is attached to the side of a length of chain and is capable of recording dynamic load data while the chain is operational. This was a groundbreaking development because for the first time engineers were able to analyse stress and load data taken from chain on real applications, something that had never been done before. Due to the size of the initial Smartlink unit it could only be used on larger chain such as that used on theme park rides. Working closely with designers the results were incredible. Smartlink was recording everything as it happened, so, if shock loads were occurring, Smartlink would record them and point to exactly where in the system they happened. Using this sort of data designers have been able to modify and improve designs and more accurately specify the precise chain size needed for their particular applications. Chain technology will continue to advance in the same direction and future chain will last even longer and require less maintenance. Technology like Smartlink will develop with the units becoming smaller and lower in cost. Smartlink was originally only suitable for large pitch chain, but now, with the reduction in size of its electronic components and battery, it can now be supplied for half-inch pitch chain. In the future perhaps every chain will have Smartlink fitted as standard, and it will tell engineers when it needs maintenance and when it needs to be replaced. Renold Chain timeline • 1980: Renold sets the standard for quality, precision roller chain • 1997: Renold launches Syno an intelligent chain that lubricates itself • 1999: Renold launches Smartlink the first stress and load sensor that can be attached to chain on real applications • 2000: Smartlink achieves Millennium Product status and is put on show in the Millennium Dome • 2000: Synergy is launched, the longest lasting chain available anywhere • 2010: Synergy is improved with enhancements to the chain's initial wear performance