Roller chains built to the European British Standard (BS) conform to the ISO 606 and DIN 8187 standards. The most important dimension of a roller chain is its pitch. The pitch of a roller chain is usually measured in fractions of an inch. When using the British standard, chain pitch is measured in sixteenths of an inch. For example, the pitch of an ISO number 08B chain is eight sixteenths of an inch, or half an inch. If there is a dash and a number following the first three digits, such as in 16B-1, the added number indicates how many rows the chain has. In this case, the 16B-1 chain is the most common type: a single-row chain, more commonly known as a simplex chain (16/16”, or 1”, with one row).

British standard roller chains use a larger-diameter pin than American standard roller chains. Because of this, British standard chains have slightly better wear resistance.

European standard chains are also available with straight side plates.

British standard roller chains are the most common type of roller chain used in Europe. We provide products from various manufacturers in a range of price and quality brackets.