The manufacturing sector globally has pushed for easier and safer ways to handle goods for decades. Since the early 1900s, the conveyer belt system has been an integral part of manufacturing processes and assembly lines in every factory.
To name a few, industries that extensively use conveyer systems in their processes include food handling, packaging, logistics, and mail delivery.
The vital part of every conveyor system is the conveyer rollers or conveyor belts. They are manufactured with mainly three types of materials which are metallic rollers, rubber rollers, or plastic rollers depending on their industrial application.
1. Benefits of Conveyor Belts and Rollers
The conveyor system is used to transport goods and materials from one point to another by utilizing rollers and a belt. Gravity is leveraged to move the goods or a small motorized unit can also be used to control the flow of movement.
The conveyor system can be fully automated thus, greatly reducing human error when it comes to sorting, transporting, and feeding in materials in a precise and controlled manner. This control of movement is the biggest advantage of having a conveyor system especially for industries such as food processing and assembly lines manufacturing.
Now that we’ve covered the application of conveyor belts rollers, we can move on to the different types that are available currently.
2. Types of Conveyor Belt Rollers
1. Gravity Leveraged Rollers
This is the simplest form of conveyer that has a frame with free rollers. With the aid of gravity, the frame is tilted from high level to a low level and the decline is used to transport packages and materials down the line.
Gravity leveraged rollers are often used as temporary conveyors when material movement does not require any specific timings.
2. Motorized Conveyor Belt Rollers
A motorized conveyor system uses rollers controlled by a drive pulley and a drive belt that restricts the movement of materials. The drive pulley is operated with the aid of a motor that can periodically start or stop the movement of these rollers at checkpoints. Motorized conveyors are a good option for heavy loads that are dry and require periodic stopping or reverse motions.
The drive pulley and belt must be kept dry and well maintained as it is susceptible to degrading with exposure to moisture, excessive heat, or small debris.
3. Motorized Conveyor Chain Rollers
Motorized chain rollers use chains instead of belts to control the flow and movement of the conveyor system. This conveyor system is used for medium-weight heavy-duty conveying across the factory floor.
The chain belt is implemented to power each roller and is best suited for reversible operation as the power to weight transmissions are high. A hold-down bar or a button continuously keeps these chains engaged while moving heavy-duty loads.
4. Line Shaft Roller Conveyors
As the name suggests, the rollers are controlled and powered by a rotary line shaft using urethane belts and drive spools. Line shaft rollers are a quiet conveyor system used for medium to lightweight loads and are easy to maintain. A safety measure is set where the drive spools slip in the event of minimal backpressure and completely halts the rollers without impacting the others.
5. Zero Pressure Roller Conveyors
This conveyor system is designed to prevent any goods, materials, or objects on the conveyor from touching each other. There are high-tech systems in places used to monitor zero pressure zones on the conveyor with the aid of sensors. A buffer zone is created between each item ensuring that no accumulation occurs. The zero-pressure conveyor system is a top-of-the-line choice for applications where precise timing, consistent rate of movement, and greater control of movement are needed.
Before selecting a conveyor system, it is crucial to determine what application and role the conveyor belt roller will play. There are different types of loads (wet/dry) and the size of the loads that need to be considered. Conveyor roller systems continue to be at the forefront of factory floors due to its efficiency and applications to move goods from one location to the next without the need for a large workforce.
