No. 8

Case History: Drive Sprocket

The sprocket shown is the drive mechanism for a lift that is used to load or unload a cart from a transport vehicle.

The original part was a weld fabrication of four (4) steel components. A commercially purchased sprocket was welded to three other steel components.

PIAD engineers redesigned the part into a one-piece permanent mold casting. The only remaining machining operations are reaming the center bore and drilling a small side hole, which secures a nylon strap.

The material was replaced with a high-strength nickel aluminum bronze, PIAD Alloy A021, which also eliminated the painting required on the steel components to prevent corrosion.

The sprocket is cast to size and does not require any secondary operations.

PIAD's design resulted in cost savings, better performance and enhanced aesthetics.

PIAD: The leader in value-added solutions.