Flight Chain Conveyor

A flight chain conveyor is a type of conveyor that uses one or more strands of heavy-duty chain with fixed “flights” (also called paddles, blades, or scrapers) attached at intervals.
These flights push or drag material along the bottom of a trough, making it a simple but powerful way to handle bulk products.

🔹 Key Features

  • Chain with Flights: A roller or link chain runs inside a trough, with metal or plastic flights bolted or welded to the chain.
  • Trough or Casing: The chain moves inside a U-shaped or box section, sometimes fully enclosed to keep dust in.
  • Drive & Take-up Units: Sprockets pull the chain, while a tensioning device keeps it tight.
  • Orientation: Mostly horizontal or slightly inclined (steeper angles are possible with special designs).

🔹 Applications

  • Moving grain, cereals, and animal feed in agriculture.
  • Handling sawdust, chips, or biomass in wood and bio-energy plants.
  • Feeding coal, ash, cement, or sand in mining and heavy industry.
  • Transporting waste, sludge, or screenings in water-treatment plants.

🔹 Advantages

  • Gentle on material – minimal degradation of grain or pellets.
  • Can carry large volumes in a compact footprint.
  • Fully or partly enclosed for dust control and safety.
  • Works with a wide variety of free-flowing or slightly damp products.
  • Simple, rugged design with relatively low power consumption.

🔹 Limitations

  • Not ideal for very sticky or stringy materials (risk of build-up).
  • Chain and flights need periodic inspection and tensioning.

Wear increases when handling very abrasive products