How chains are made

Chains are as indispensable today, as they were thousands of years ago. Ancient
historians refer to the use of metal chains for jewelry, shackles and construction.
Today, chains are used for those very same purposes and many more. Chains are link
with the past. One that we're unlikely to break. Chains are used to tie things down, hold things
together and pull things along and their many sizes reflect the varied uses.
To make a chain a turning drum uncoils this wire rod and pulls it through a steel guide
ring to a steel dropbox. Grease inside the box lubricates the wire on its way out of the box.
The wire goes through a die such as the one being demonstrated here. The die has a smaller
diameter than the wire and as the turning drum pulls it through the wire narrows, hardens and
becomes stronger.
Now, electrically driven tools move in from all sides. This is a forming machine. A
tool called the jaw propels the wire forward while another jaw pushes on the wire bending it
around the steel pin. It forms a c-shape. Another forming tool closes the C completing one
link in the chain. And then another jaw makes the next link. This machine is making jack
chain which is usually used to hang lights. Another forming machine makes a chain that can
haul a heavier load. A grip posts the wire on two rollers that straighten it out. Steel cutters
now make notches on both sides of the wire.
These notches mark the place where the wire is to be sliced into link size pieces. A
mechanized knife makes the final cut at the notches. Next, roller arms luper cut piece of wire
around a steel finger. The roller arms make it look easy but they're actually exerting tons of
pressure in order to shape this wire. After the rollers form the link a pliers like tool grabs it
and turns it around. This positions the completed link so that it can connect with the next link
as it is shaped. As each link is added, the chain drops into a pile below the machine. There
are dozens of forming machines in most chain factories.
Each machine makes fifty to sixty links per minute. That's approximately seventy six
meters of chain per machine per hour. To put that into perspective, one machine could make a
chain as long as the CN Tower is high in just seven hours.
After the chain is formed it'll need to be strengthened. So it's on to the welding
machine. Hammers to the left and right push the link in, then two copper blocks move in from
the sides. They act as electrodes and zap both sides of the link with an electrical current. The
current ripples through the gap in a link while the hammers push it in. The link reaches a
scorching 927 degrees Celsius; the wire melts and the link fuses together. Now, a pulley
system drops the freshly welded chain into a heat treating coil. An electrical current runs
through the copper coil heating the chain inside until its orange hot - 940 degrees Celsius.
The pullies lower the chain into a tub of water to cool. The extreme temperature
change alters the molecular structure of the steel making it much harder, but the experience
leaves the chain a bit britle. So it goes into a second heat coil that's not as hot as the first one
and then into another cool bath. This takes away the brittleness and gives the steel a bit of
stretch.
Now, the ultimate strength test. This is the chain calibrator. Pulleys run the chain into
a grove that's been cut into a block of steel. A clamp on the left holds it in place while the
hydraulically powered block of steel pulls the chain to the right. Will it break or will it hold?
And can it handle the load? After all, you're only as strong as the weakest link.