01Six chain widths, and what changes with them
The range runs S240 at 24 mm, S380 at 38 mm, S620 at 62 mm, S830 at 83 mm, S140 at 140 mm and S220 at 220 mm. Width is the first decision and it drags three others with it: speed, load and turning radius. Profile width tracks the chain closely, at 40, 64, 86, 141 and 224 mm on the five catalogue models, so the space the conveyor occupies is roughly the chain width plus a couple of millimetres. Pick the width from the footprint of your product, then check what it costs you in the two sections below.
02Speed and load pull in opposite directions
The narrow S380 is the fastest at 80 m/min but carries only about 3 kg/m and roughly 40 kg in total, with a 420 N traction limit and a 0.06 kW motor. The S620 does 60 m/min at about 10 kg/m and 105 kg. From the S830 up, load settles at about 20 kg/m and 200 kg with a 1,250 N traction limit, and speed falls to 50 m/min on the S830 and S140 and 40 m/min on the S220. That is the honest trade: a wider chain carries bigger and heavier product but will not run as fast. If your throughput target needs both width and speed, it is worth checking the arithmetic early rather than at commissioning, because two narrower lanes sometimes beat one wide one.
03Curve radius is the layout constraint
Minimum horizontal bend radius is R200 mm on the S380, R191 mm on the S620, R150 mm on the S830, R300 mm on the S140 and R600 mm on the S220. Note that the S830 turns tighter than both narrower models, which is not what most people assume. Vertical bend radius is R400 mm and R860 mm across the range. The S240 is a twin chain conveyor for straight-line use, so it does not bend at all. If the line has to thread between machines that are already bolted down, the horizontal radius of the width you have chosen is the number that decides whether it fits, so bring the floor plan to the sizing conversation rather than the product alone.
04Line length, drives and structure
Maximum conveyor length is about 20 m per drive unit on the S620 and wider, and about 10 m on the S380, with the catalogue noting that the figure depends on the design, the load and the number of bends. A longer run is built from several driven sections rather than one long one. Motor power is 0.06 kW on the S380, 0.18 to 0.37 kW on the S620 and S830, and 0.18 to 0.55 kW on the S140 and S220. Conveyor weight rises with width, from about 5 kg/m on the S380 and S620 through 7 and 8 kg/m to about 11.5 kg/m on the S220, which is the figure that matters if the run is going on a mezzanine or a suspended frame.
05Noise, temperature and materials
Every Carryline conveyor runs under 70 dB(A), which matters in a packing hall where several lines run side by side and noise exposure is a real duty of care. Working temperature is -20 C to +60 C, with higher or lower on request, so chilled areas are inside the standard range. Construction is anodised aluminium profile with an acetal chain, and the chain is available in food-approved plastic where the product is open.
06Built to be changed
Straight runs, bends, twists and drive units all use the same chain and the same beam, so an aluminium slat line is assembled from a system rather than specified as a single machine. That is the real argument for it: when the product changes or the cell moves, sections come apart and go back together instead of being scrapped. To change level, spiral slat conveyors take product up gradually while vertical slat conveyors bridge height fast in a small footprint, and compact corner conveyors handle tight direction changes.
Where it fits against the alternatives
Slat chain suits products with a flat, stable base that need to be turned and accumulated. Where the base is uneven or the product is small enough to fall between links, modular belt conveyors give a continuous carrying surface. Where loads are heavy and travel in straight lines on pallets or totes, roller conveyor is cheaper per metre. LVP Automation specifies, installs and supports Carryline aluminium conveyors from Finglas, Dublin 11 as part of our wider automation services.
