What impact fracture is
Impact fracture is a brittle failure under rapid loading. A blow from a foreign object or a sudden stop delivers energy faster than the material can absorb by deformation, so a link shatters rather than stretching. Low service temperature makes steel more susceptible.
Common causes
- Foreign objects in the chain path striking the chain
- Cold store or outdoor winter duty where steel toughness falls
- Chain steel or heat treatment with insufficient impact toughness
- Fitting damage such as a notch or gouge from a chain tool
Warning signs
- Bright, crystalline fracture faces with little deformation
- Shattered links with fragments in the chain case
- Failures clustering in cold weather or cold room plant
- Notches or gouges at the fracture origin
Prevention and correction
- Specify low temperature grades for cold store and outdoor duty
- Guard and screen the chain path against foreign objects
- Avoid surface damage when fitting and pressing pins
- Reduce impact energy with soft start and material handling controls
Fix it with the right product
Cold store and low temperature chainNeed a second opinion?
Send us the chain, the running hours and a photo. Our engineers will confirm the failure mode and quote the right replacement.
All chain failure modes
Chain ElongationFatigue FailureSide Plate CrackingPin and Bush WearRoller Wear and SpallingAbrasive WearAdhesive WearCorrosionStress Corrosion CrackingHydrogen EmbrittlementGallingSurface PittingTensile OverloadShock LoadingImpact FractureLubrication StarvationTight Links and KinkingMisalignmentChordal ActionSprocket Tooth Wear
Same & Next-Day Delivery Areas
Roller chain supply across South Yorkshire & the North
Dispatched from our Rotherham depot — order by 1pm for next-working-day delivery, or collect same-day within our 30-mile radius.
RotherhamDepot location
Sheffield9 mi · ~25 min
Barnsley6 mi · ~15 min
Doncaster16 mi · ~30 min
Mexborough3 mi · ~8 min
Maltby5 mi · ~12 min
Wath-upon-Dearne4 mi · ~10 min
Wakefield20 mi · ~35 min
Leeds25 mi · ~45 min
Huddersfield30 mi · ~50 min
Scunthorpe22 mi · ~35 min
Mansfield28 mi · ~45 min
Chesterfield18 mi · ~30 min
Worksop14 mi · ~25 min