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GRAPHALLOY
®
Keeping Dryer Oven Chains Rolling
Keeping their gypsum board dryer oven running was a problem for a manufacturer of construction
materials until they redesigned the chain guide to include self-lubricating GRAPHALLOY® cam followers.
The oven has a drag chain conveying system - with a speed of eight feet per minute - to move the gypsum
wall boards through the oven. The temperature in the oven is 550°F. The drag chain was kept on track by
chain guides made of carbon steel plates. Over time, the chain guides would wear down, fall onto the gypsum
w all boards, destroy the product and shut down the oven.
The manufacturer wanted to design a chain guide system that would not wear down and certainly not fall into
the product. They needed something to support the chain. The manufacturer considered using standard cam
followers but was concerned that they wouldn’t survive the oven’s high temperature. In addition, they wanted
to avoid using grease to minimize frequent maintenance.
They contacted engineers at Graphite Metallizing Corporation to help with the new design. Self-lubricating
GRAPHALLOY Bronze Grade Cam Followers Type 1217 were proposed. The manufacturer then developed a chain guide
system that had the chains roll over the cam followers instead of the steel plates.
After testing this solution for ten months, the board manufacturer declared it a success. They converted their
entire oven to GRAPHALLOY. These cam followers have now been in operation for over one year without the need
for replacement. The manufacturer also saved time and money on reduced maintenance because they no longer need
to grease their bearings.
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this case history
10/17/2017
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