Roller Conveyors FAQ
Get all the answers to your questions about Roller Conveyors as well as advice on how to choose the correct type for your application
How many types of roller conveyors are there?
There are many different types of roller conveyors available but they each fall into one of these main categories based on how the rollers move. A roller conveyor can either be powered or unpowered - the unpowered types use gravity or manual force to turn the rollers, whilst the powered varieties have motorised rollers or are driven by chains or bands. Below is a summary of the four main types of roller conveyors.
Gravity Roller Conveyors
Gravity roller conveyors are the cheapest and most straightforward type of roller conveyor. Generally consisting of a set of rollers or skate wheels mounted into two side frames with some type of support stand to set the rollers at the height required. The support stands can be height adjustable or made to a fixed height, mounted on height-adjustable feet or even on castors. The rollers do not contain motors or have anything driving them, they turn only using the force of gravity when installed on a decline, or manual force when installed level. These conveyors are often used to help move heavy or bulky items along assembly lines, or to feed into machinery. They are also regularly used for vehicle loading and unloading, the expandable and flexible gravity conveyors are popular in this application as they can be set up and positioned quickly and then moved away when not in use.
24V Powered Roller Conveyors
24V Powered Roller Conveyors are built in a very similar way to gravity roller conveyors with rollers mounted into two side frames, the difference is that a number of the rollers are motorised. These motorised rollers are joined to their adjacent idler rollers using O-ring bands, and when the motorised rollers spin, the friction from the O-ring bands turns the idler rollers. One big advantage of the 24V Powered Roller Conveyor is that the conveyor can be split into zones that can be controlled independently using drive control cards, allowing for banks of rollers to stop and start as required. As such, these conveyors can be very energy efficient and when paired with sensors, they are ideal for zero-pressure accumulation applications.
Lineshaft Driven Roller Conveyors
Lineshaft driven roller conveyors are also a type of roller conveyor that utilises bands to turn the rollers, however in this case the O-ring bands are attached to a drive shaft that runs along the length of the conveyor. Using this method all the rollers turn simultaneously at the same rate, so they are suitable for the continuous transportation of lightweight items. Lineshaft roller conveyors can be used for low-pressure accumulation as the o-rings can slip when any friction or pushback is met along the conveyor line. This also makes the lineshaft conveyor much safer than other types of driven conveyors as the rollers will stop turning if clothing or hands become stuck in the rollers.
Chain Driven Roller Conveyors
Chain driven roller conveyors are the most heavy-duty and robust powered roller conveyor option, and as such, they are commonly used for moving heavy and bulky items such as drums or pallets. The rollers each have sprockets that attach to chains which link the rollers in groups, and these chains are attached to a motor. There is no slippage or loss of friction so these conveyors are ideal for moving items of differing weights. It is extremely important to be careful around all types of conveyors, but especially so for chain-driven conveyors as they are very powerful and will not stop on their own if something gets stuck in the rollers.
What can roller conveyors be used for?
Roller conveyors are suitable for transporting items with a flat rigid bottom as if an item is soft or bendable it may sag or get stuck in between the rollers. For this reason, when transporting poly bags, sacks, jiffy bags, and small items it is better to use a type of belt conveyor or place these items into totes, trays or crates.
What are the benefits of using roller conveyors?
- Roller conveyors are extremely versatile and can be combined in a modular fashion with other types of conveyors such as belt, modular and slat conveyors to create both simple and complex conveyor systems.
- They are relatively easy to install and have very low maintenance requirements as individual rollers can be swapped out and replaced with ease.
- Gravity conveyors have no power requirements so they're extremely economical, whilst 24v powered roller conveyors can be set up to run only as required so they are very energy efficient.
- Using a roller conveyor to improve material & product transportation can make the workplace safer for your employees and reduce incidences of injuries and strains associated with manual handling.
How do I select the right type of roller conveyor?
The type of roller conveyor you require depends on the application, the environment the conveyor will be used in, as well as the material, size, and weight of the items to be transported. This information helps us to determine things like the load rating required, the angle of the conveyor decline or power options, the materials used for the frames and rollers, and also the roller pitch.
If you need help choosing a roller conveyor please contact us for free advice and product quotations.
What does roller pitch mean?
The roller pitch is the distance between the centre of each roller, on a gravity conveyor, a larger pitch means items will move faster as there is less surface friction. We recommend that you have the pitch set so at least three rollers are in contact with the product you are transporting for the conveyor to work correctly, if you don't the items may not move forward and just sit on the rollers or get stuck. This is why it's a good idea to base your roller pitch on the dimensions of your smallest items.
Do I need a special type of roller conveyor if I'm working with food?
For hygiene purposes in food & drink, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications, stainless steel framed roller conveyors with PVC or stainless steel rollers are used as they can be thoroughly cleaned.
Do you manufacture roller racking & storage shelving?
Yes, we can manufacture gravity roller racking for carton flow, FIFO & LIFO storage. These are custom-made to order to meet your size and capacity requirements.
