FB Chain 40 years

FB Chain celebrates 40 years of lifting innovations

Posted on May 8, 2025 in Shifting Gears

FB Chain has been a driving force in transforming lifting equipment worldwide for four decades. From pioneering leaf chain assembly kits to revolutionising wear measurement, the UK-based company has built a reputation for technical leadership, a customer-first approach, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability, solidifying its position as a trusted global partner in the materials handling and construction sectors.

Celebrating 40 years of leaf chain innovation, FB Chain began in 1985 as a supplier to British forklift truck manufacturers. Today, the company provides critical lifting components for forklifts, telehandlers, aerial work platforms, and reach stackers in over 50 countries, a testament to its global expansion and industry influence.

A different kind of chain supplier

FB Chain recognised the need to differentiate itself from bulk chain suppliers from its inception. Instead of competing on volume, the company focused on quality, safety, and delivering practical solutions to customer challenges, enhancing performance, efficiency, and convenience.

Central to this philosophy is the engineering of each chain to exceed ISO 4347 standards by 20%, promoting greater durability and safety. Each chain is stamped at metre intervals with a unique tracking number, linked to a batch test certificate for complete traceability and quality assurance.

FB Chain disrupted traditional practices by introducing leaf chain assembly kits with chain cut to length and anchor bolts already fitted to be mounted directly onto equipment lifting mechanisms. This ‘plug and play’ approach and guaranteed time-specific delivery slots revolutionised customer operations.

FB Chain Leaf chain assembly kits

Continuous innovation for efficiency and sustainability

Jim Cameron

“This was unheard of at the time, a real game-changer,” explains former director Jim Cameron. “For our customers, the kits boosted productivity, reduced labor requirements, and minimised waste, while our just-in-time delivery helped them save on storage space and costs.”

Further demonstrating its commitment to problem-solving, FB Chain developed the FB Professional Chain Wear Gauge. Unlike previous tools that either showed ‘worn’ or ‘not worn’, this gauge provides precise wear readings in 0.25% increments, allowing maintenance teams to optimise chain replacement, enhance safety, minimise downtime, and reduce unnecessary costs. The gauge has since become an international standard for leaf chain inspection.

Never stopping to innovate

Despite the simplicity of chain technology, FB Chain remains dedicated to continuous innovation, helping customers save time, money, energy, and waste. This commitment extends to advancements in material development, such as Xtreme Pressure leaf chains for increased strength, and Supershield chains for enhanced corrosion resistance, ultimately improving equipment reliability, uptime, and lowering replacement costs.

B Professional Chain Wear Gauge

Recognising the growing importance of supply chain sustainability, FB Chain is also actively addressing one of the biggest challenges its customers face today: reducing their Scope 3 emissions, namely the indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, including purchased components and their transportation.

FB Chain sources its steel from an Italian supplier committed to a circular economy. It uses 95% scrap metal and electric arc furnaces, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 60% per leaf chain anchor bolt. Furthermore, FB Chain’s purpose-built facility in Letchworth, equipped with solar panels, intelligent design, and comprehensive recycling initiatives, achieves negative annual carbon emissions after accounting for offsets.

The company prioritizes innovation and sustainability as it looks to the future. A key focus is automation, demonstrated by its early investment in robotic arms to automate the loading and unloading of CNC turning machines for anchor bolt production. This significantly boosted capacity and enabled 24/7 operation to help meet short-notice requests. With seven robotic arms now in use, further investments will ensure greater customer value.

Peter Church

We’re not just celebrating our past, but also laying the groundwork for the future,” concludes FB Chain’s current managing director. “By continuing to invest in advanced materials, smarter technology, and greener operations, we’re positioning ourselves to stay ahead of the evolving needs of our global customers for the next 40 years and beyond.”