Guidelines for the Alignment of Chain Drives

Proper chain running is crucial for the service life of a chain drive. Therefore, it is important to ensure the precise parallelism of the shafts as well as the alignment of the sprockets.

Kettentriebe Ausrichtung Problem — A = Ruler; B = Spirit level

If the chain track deviates beyond the permissible limits due to lack of parallelism or incorrect sprocket alignment, the following problems can occur:

The inner links run laterally against the sprocket teeth.
Undesired wear occurs.
Lateral forces can push the inner plates outwards → elongation of the inner links, increasing inner width.
The lateral clearance between inner and outer links is reduced → joint movement is restricted.
In extreme cases, the roller chain may become rigid.

Consequence: Incorrect chain running significantly increases the stress on the chain components and can, in worst case, lead to early chain breakage.

Sprocket Alignment

Minor misalignment is permissible – however, it depends on the shaft distance and the chain speed.

Limits for roller chains with a pitch of ½" and higher:

Operating condition	Permissible offset Δs_max
v_chain < 0,5m/s	0.2 mm per 100 mm shaft distance
v_chain> 0,5 m/s	0.1 mm per 100 mm shaft distance
Marathon chains	0.1 mm per 100 mm shaft distance

Tip: The shorter the shaft distance and the higher the speed, the stricter the requirements!

Angular Position of Shafts / Sprockets

A certain angular deviation is also permissible. The following applies: For high-speed chain drives, tolerances are tighter than for low-speed drives.

Limits for chains with a pitch of ½" and higher: