Calculation
v = p · N · n / 60,000
Chain speed is the distance the chain travels per unit time; ANSI roller chains are typically run below about 6–7.5 m/s.
v = p·N·n/60.000
Roller chain speed
Chain speed is the distance the chain travels per unit time; ANSI roller chains are typically run below about 6–7.5 m/s.
MINTSI
02
Result
Select a target and calculate.
Understand the inputs
- Chain speed v — Chain's linear travel speed along its direction of motion.
- Chain pitch p — Distance between adjacent pin centers of the roller chain.
- Driving sprocket teeth N — Tooth count of the driving sprocket.
- Driving sprocket speed n — Rotational speed of the driving sprocket.
Example
A 19.05 mm pitch (ANSI 60), 17 teeth and 1,000 rpm give a chain speed of 5.3975 m/s.
Assumptions and limits
Constant rotational speed without the polygon (chordal) effect; actual instantaneous speed varies slightly within each pitch.
Understand Roller chain speed
This calculator finds a roller chain's linear travel speed from chain pitch, driving sprocket tooth count and its rotational speed, or solves for any one of the three inputs. It helps check whether a planned drive combination stays within the speed limits typical for roller chains.
What does this quantity describe?
Chain speed v is the distance the chain travels per unit time. It follows from the distance the chain travels per revolution of the driving sprocket (pitch p times tooth count N), multiplied by the number of revolutions per unit time: v = p·N·n / 60,000, where p is in millimetres, N is the tooth count and n is in revolutions per minute, giving v in metres per second.
The same reasoning applies to a driving sprocket as to a belt pulley: every full revolution transports a chain length equal to tooth count times pitch. Martin Sprocket & Gear's Sprocket Engineering Data catalog and Tsubaki's chain drive selection literature independently confirm the same formula (usually stated there in feet per minute with pitch in inches), and cite a practical maximum speed of about 1,200 to 1,500 feet per minute — roughly 6 to 7.5 m/s — for standard roller chains.
Formula and variables
v = p · N · n / 60,000
v = p·N·n / 60,000N = v·60,000 / (p·n)n = v·60,000 / (p·N)p = v·60,000 / (N·n)
| Symbol / input | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Chain speed v | Chain's linear travel speed along its direction of motion. |
| Chain pitch p | Distance between adjacent pin centers of the roller chain. |
| Driving sprocket teeth N | Tooth count of the driving sprocket. |
| Driving sprocket speed n | Rotational speed of the driving sprocket. |
Choose the inputs correctly
Enter three of the four quantities to find the fourth. Always use the tooth count N of the sprocket whose speed n is entered — for a ratio-changing chain drive, the driven sprocket gives the same chain speed, but computed with its own tooth count and speed.
How to use the calculator
Select the target quantity and enter the three known values with units. Compare a calculated chain speed against the maximum speed the chain manufacturer states for the chosen chain size and lubrication type.
Worked example
Given an ANSI 60 chain with p = 19.05 mm, a driving sprocket with N = 17 teeth and a driving speed of n = 1,000 rpm, substitution gives v = 19.05 · 17 · 1,000 / 60,000 = 5.3975 m/s.
Understand the result and units
A chain speed of about 5.4 m/s falls within the roughly 6 to 7.5 m/s range typical for standard roller chains, indicating an uncritical operating speed at which catalog power ratings can be applied without special restriction.
Chain pitch p is usually given in millimetres, speed n in revolutions per minute, and chain speed v in metres per second.
Typical applications
The formula is used to check whether a planned drive speed exceeds the permissible chain speed, to select the correct lubrication type per chain manufacturer guidance, and for first-pass sizing of conveyor chains.
Assumptions, limits and common mistakes
The formula gives average chain speed at constant rotational speed. The polygon or chordal action causes the chain's actual instantaneous speed to vary slightly around this average within each pitch; this effect is more pronounced with fewer teeth on the driving sprocket. At very high speeds beyond manufacturer limits, centrifugal effects and lubrication type must additionally be considered.
Common mistake: Do not combine the driven sprocket's speed with the driving sprocket's tooth count — pitch, tooth count and speed must always refer to the same sprocket. Also, always compare the calculated value against the maximum speed the chain manufacturer permits for the chosen lubrication type before settling on a higher drive speed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the same chain give the same speed at both the driving and driven sprocket?
Because the chain moves as a single loop, its linear speed is the same everywhere; pitch times tooth count times speed gives the same value at the driving and driven sprocket alike, even though the two sprockets have different tooth counts and speeds.
What chain speed counts as an upper limit?
Manufacturer data typically cites a range of about 1,200 to 1,500 feet per minute (roughly 6 to 7.5 m/s) for standard roller chains; the exact limit depends on chain size, lubrication type and operating conditions and should be taken from manufacturer catalogs.
What is the polygon or chordal action?
Because a chain sits on a sprocket like a polygon rather than a circle, its instantaneous speed varies slightly within each pitch around the average calculated here; this effect decreases as tooth count increases.