Challenges of High-Demand Case Conveyors in Food & Beverage Plants
In high-throughput food and beverage plants, case conveyors don’t get a day off. They run through dust, washdowns, tight radii and mixed product loads – and any drag, jamming or premature wear quickly shows up as downtime. That was the brief when Motion was asked to improve performance on a busy packaging hall with compact curves and constant accumulation. The answer combined proven hardware and local know-how: Regal Rexnord’s LF600 straight-running chain and LF600TAB tabbed chain, selected, supplied and supported by Motion.
The challenge
Operators were replacing large lengths of chain each maintenance cycle, fighting rising pull at the headshaft and nursing scuff-prone accumulation zones. Tight corners limited layout options, and hygiene protocols demanded easy cleaning with minimal disassembly. The goal was simple: keep cases moving, reduce wear on both chain and wearstrips, and cut the frequency of interventions.
The solution
Motion’s team specified Regal Rexnord LF600 for straight sections and LF600TAB for radius runs. Both use Rexnord’s LF® low-friction acetal, which reduces sliding resistance at the wearstrip and between product and chain. The lower friction material, and lower headshaft tension also reduces energy consumption. In practice, that means lower chain pull, better accumulation behaviour and fewer nuisance stops. The LF600TAB brings a positive hold-down through curves, helping the chain track cleanly at higher loads and speeds without lifting. A tight minimum turning radius and improved pin fastening make it easier to carry heavy loads in a small footprint, while the open-top, solid-side-bar geometry supports fast cleaning in hygiene-critical areas.
“On these lines, every percent of friction shows up as heat, wear and stoppages,” says Troy Markland, Product Manager – Power Transmission at Motion. “By moving to low-friction materials and a tabbed chain in the curves, we stabilised accumulation, reduced headshaft tension and extended service intervals—without redesigning the whole conveyor.”
Regal Rexnord’s broader ecosystem also helped. Matching corner tracks, wearstrips and guides simplified installation and preserved the low-friction pathway from day one. With national stock behind them, Motion’s branch and field teams coordinated a staged change-out to avoid disrupting production.
“LF600 has become a go-to on case conveyors because it balances strength, cleanability and low back-line pressure,” adds Mark Mitchell, Regal Rexnord. “Paired with LF600TAB in the corners, plants see smoother running and less damage to packaging in accumulation. The material choice does the quiet work that adds up over time.”
The results
Post-retrofit, operators reported noticeably smoother flow through curves and fewer resets in accumulation zones. Lower pull at the headshaft reduced stress on drive components; wearstrips and chain showed less scuffing, stretching the interval between planned replacements. Clean-in-place routines were faster to execute thanks to the chain’s open-access profile and robust pin retention, and maintenance teams could service sections without wholesale disassembly.
Equally important, the fix was pragmatic. Rather than a major rebuild, Motion delivered a targeted upgrade: specify the right chain for straight and radius sections, align components, and back it with local stock and support. The outcome was improved reliability at lower total cost of ownership—exactly what busy packaging halls need as volumes fluctuate.
Partnering for performance
For Motion, the project underlines the value of collaborative problem-solving: listen to the pain points, apply the right product, and stay close through commissioning and aftercare. “Plants want proof, not promises,” says Troy. “LF600 and LF600TAB have a track record in tough applications, and with Regal Rexnord alongside us we can stand behind the result.”
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