Profab Machine CNC machines 304 and 316L stainless steel sprockets for food, marine, and chemical equipment. We cut ANSI and metric chain pitches with a pilot bore or a finished bore to H7. Custom tooth counts and hub shapes are accepted.
A roller chain sprocket is a toothed wheel that meshes with a roller chain to transmit motion between shafts. It must match the chain pitch and roller size exactly. A stainless steel sprocket does the same job in washdown, marine, and chemical areas where a carbon steel sprocket would pit at the tooth root.
We cut each stainless steel sprocket to your chain number, tooth count, hub style, and bore.
Profab Machine makes stainless steel sprockets with bores to H7, keyways to JS9, and hub lengths set to your shaft layout. Custom tooth counts, non-standard pitches, and modified hubs are made from your drawing.
We cut stainless steel single strand sprockets for ANSI chain from #25 (6.35 mm) to #120 (38.1 mm), in Type A (plate), Type B (hub on one side), and Type C (hub on both sides). We machine a pilot bore or a finished bore to H7 with keyway and set screw, to your shaft size.
Stainless steel double and triple strand sprockets carry more power on the same chain pitch. They help when one strand cannot carry the torque or the space limits the diameter. We make ANSI #40-2, #50-2, #60-2, #40-3, #50-3, and ISO 606 duplex metric sizes.
Taper-lock stainless steel sprockets mount on a split taper bush (1008, 1210, 1610, 2012, 2517 series), so one sprocket body fits several shaft sizes. The bush is ordered separately to your shaft size. We make idler sprocket bodies, and a bearing can be quoted with the idler for washdown use.
Send your drawing, bore, and hub shape for custom bore stainless steel sprockets. We machine bores in a typical range of 6 to 150 mm to H7, and hex and spline bores are available on request, with DIN 6885 or Woodruff keyways, cross-drilled set screws, and flange details in the same CNC set-up. DXF, STEP, or a dimensioned sketch is accepted.
We cut each stainless steel sprocket to the ANSI tooth form for your chain number, with the bore and keyway machined to your shaft. For metric BS pitches, give the chain pitch in millimetres when you enquire.
| Chain No. | Pitch | Roller Dia. | Tooth Range | PD at 25T (ref.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #25 | 6.35 mm (1/4 in) | 3.30 mm | 8 to 60T | ~51 mm |
| #35 | 9.525 mm (3/8 in) | 5.08 mm | 8 to 80T | ~76 mm |
| #40 | 12.70 mm (1/2 in) | 7.92 mm | 8 to 96T | ~101 mm |
| #50 | 15.875 mm (5/8 in) | 10.16 mm | 9 to 96T | ~127 mm |
| #60 | 19.05 mm (3/4 in) | 11.91 mm | 9 to 96T | ~152 mm |
| #80 | 25.40 mm (1 in) | 15.88 mm | 9 to 96T | ~203 mm |
| #100 | 31.75 mm (1 1/4 in) | 19.05 mm | 9 to 80T | ~253 mm |
| #120 | 38.10 mm (1 1/2 in) | 22.23 mm | 9 to 72T | ~304 mm |
| Custom | Any pitch | Per chain | Custom | Per drawing |
PD is the pitch circle diameter at the reference tooth count. All sizes are available in 304 and 316L. Tooth ranges are typical, for reference only. Non-standard, double-pitch, and extended-pitch stainless steel sprockets are quoted from your drawing.
A pilot-bore stainless steel sprocket must be finish-bored before use. We offer a finished bore, keyway, and set screw machined to your shaft, ready to slide on and lock.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Bore diameter range | Typically 6 to 150 mm |
| Bore tolerance, standard | H7 |
| Bore tolerance, tight fit | H6, on request |
| Parallel keyway | DIN 6885, JS9 tolerance |
| Woodruff keyway | DIN 6888, on request |
| Set screw | M5 to M16 tapped, 90° or 120° |
| Hub length | Standard or custom |
Replacing a corroded carbon steel sprocket with a 304 stainless steel sprocket stops the rust. In a CIP washdown with caustic cycles or a marine conveyor in salt spray, though, 304 can pit at the tooth roots. The grade is a maintenance-interval decision as much as a price decision.
304 is the usual grade for stainless steel sprockets in indoor machinery, dry food areas, and non-chemical industry. It machines well, so it holds a tight tooth profile and bore at a sensible cost. Avoid it in chloride areas and aggressive CIP.
316L stainless steel sprockets suit any area where chloride is present, such as CIP washdown lines, salt spray, marine conveyors, and chemical equipment. The 2 to 3% molybdenum in 316L gives a PREN of about 24, which 304 cannot match.
17-4PH stainless steel sprockets reach about 1,310 MPa tensile strength in H900 condition, so they suit high-torque conveyors where load or tooth wear governs life. They are not for continuous seawater immersion. 17-4PH is available on request.
Each application below names the drive where the stainless steel sprockets run, matched to the environment and load from the tooth profile to the bore fit.
Stainless steel sprockets in conveyor drives, filling machine indexers, and packaging line chains face daily sanitizing. Electropolished surfaces are available.
Stainless steel sprockets on paint-line conveyor drives and chassis-line carriers meet alkaline cleaners and curing heat and keep their tooth profile.
Stainless steel sprockets on irrigation drives face fertilizer dust, mud, and humidity that corrode carbon steel sprockets quickly. 304 is a practical replacement.
316L stainless steel sprockets on windlass drives, deck cranes, and engine room conveyors handle salt spray or immersion. Passivation is available.
Stainless steel sprockets on indexing conveyors, robotic transfer lines, and packaging machines need consistent pitch geometry and a true-running bore.
316L stainless steel sprockets on pump drives, agitator chains, and fill-line conveyors meet process media and cleaners. 316L resists dilute acids better than 304.
A carbon steel sprocket in a washdown or marine drive pits at the tooth root, and the pits crack under chain pull. A tooth then fails while the chain still has service life left. The chain jumps, and the line stops.
A stainless steel sprocket keeps its tooth profile through that service. The sprocket is more likely to last as long as the chain, and your team spends its time on planned work instead of emergency swaps.
One tooth out of position concentrates chain load where it should not, and that tooth wears fast. Every link that passes it takes a shock load that travels back through the chain into the bearings on the drive.
We cut the teeth of each stainless steel sprocket on CNC equipment and check the tooth form against your drawing before packing. The bore is finished to H7 and runs true to the pitch circle. The chain then sees steady tension instead of tight-loose oscillation.
A cast stainless steel sprocket keeps the as-cast tooth surface and some porosity at the root. We cut the teeth of our stainless steel sprockets from solid bar and plate on CNC equipment.
Order stainless steel sprockets with matching stainless roller chain, key stock, and set screws in one shipment, made to your chain pitch. Tell us the chain part number, and we will make the sprocket and the chain to match.
Send your shaft drawing and drive arrangement for your stainless steel sprockets. We confirm the bore fit, keyway size, hub offset, and tooth count before cutting metal. If the torque suggests a 17-4PH upgrade or a larger hub, we flag it in the quote.
Profab supplies the drive set around the stainless steel sprocket in matching stainless grades, made to your chain pitch, so one order covers the drive set.
304 and 316 chain in ANSI pitches #25 to #80, cut to length with connecting links, made to match your stainless steel sprocket.
Keys cut to your keyway width in 304 stainless, with cone or flat point set screws, included with each stainless steel sprocket and labeled with its part number.
One-piece and two-piece clamp collars in 304 and 316, in set screw or clamp style, to position the stainless steel sprocket without threading the shaft.
| Parameter | What to Check | Selection Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Chain pitch | The chain pitch must match your chain exactly, so check ANSI B29.1 or ISO 606. | Verify the stainless steel sprocket pitch against the chain part number or a sample. ANSI 40 and ISO 08B both run 12.7 mm pitch, but the tooth forms do not interchange. |
| Tooth count | Fewer teeth give more chordal action and higher wear. | Use about 17 teeth or more for drive sprockets at speed. Idler sprockets can run fewer. More teeth mean a smoother drive. |
| Bore and keyway | Match shaft diameter and keyway to ANSI B17.1 or DIN 6885. | State the shaft tolerance class on the drawing, and we finish the sprocket bore to the correct fit. |
| Hub style | Type A has a plate, Type B has a hub on one side, and Type C has a hub on both sides. | Use Type A where space is tight, Type B as the usual choice, and Type C for wide chain, multi-strand drives, or reversing loads. |
| Material grade | Match the grade to the environment and load. | Use 304 for general washdown, 316L where chlorides are present, and 17-4PH where tooth wear or load governs service life. |
Not seeing your question? Email us at [email protected] and we typically reply same day.
Type A is a plain plate with no hub. Type B has a hub on one side, and Type C has a hub on both sides for more shaft grip. Type B is the usual choice.
Austenitic stainless cannot be hardened by heat treatment. It only work-hardens. If the teeth wear faster than the chain, 17-4PH reaches about HRC 40 or higher in H900 condition.
Yes. We machine a pilot bore or a finished bore with a keyway or a taper-lock bush, to H7 as usual. Hex and spline bores are available on request. Send the shaft drawing and the tolerance class.
Give the chain number (such as ANSI 40 or ISO 08B), the tooth count, the hub style, the bore and keyway, and the grade. ANSI 40 and ISO 08B share a 12.7 mm pitch, but their tooth forms differ.
For stainless steel sprockets, 304 suits general washdown, 316L suits chloride and marine service, and 17-4PH suits high load or tooth wear. Tell us the cleaning chemistry and load.
Send the chain number, tooth count, hub style, bore, keyway, and grade, plus a drawing or sample.
Our engineers review your sprocket request or drawing and send you a specific quote within 24 hours.
Standard lead time for sprockets is 30 days. Custom designs are sampled before the full production run.
We ship sprockets by sea, air, or express courier. A tracking number follows once the order ships.
We support small-batch and prototype runs with no hard minimum order quantity. A first prototype run is typically around 100 pieces.
If you already have drawings, email [email protected] directly and we will quote from them.
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