Knowledge is power for savvy business owners when they are faced with making key decisions on purchasing the basic infrastructure that keeps their operations running smoothly.
That’s especially true of businesses that need to keep products and merchandise flowing smoothly through their processing and delivery systems. Knowing as much as possible about conveyor rollers brings clarity to a procurement decision for this vital equipment.
Load Type
It starts with understanding the load type. Loads come in many different forms, such as firm bags, drums, cartons, totes, skids and more. These are flat bottom loads. The roller type best suited to handle flat loads are gravity rollers.
Materials
Just about all industrial roller systems are constructed from aluminum or steel. Some systems are a combination of the two. Aluminum rollers are lighter and faster. Steel rollers provide a higher degree of durability. Sometimes the optimum system is the best of both worlds. This usually consists of rollers made from aluminum with steel endcaps.
Size Considerations
To correctly select the best conveyor rollers for your operation, pay careful attention to the size of the items you’re handling. Heavy items mean larger rollers that ideally should meet or just slightly exceed the capacity needed to handle the weight. Roller manufacturers can help you calculate your weight-to-roller size ratio.
Closely related to the size issue is impact. Some loading processes involve a certain amount of impact action against the rollers. A system with larger tubing and heavier gauge materials will handle the stress of impact.
Contact Factor
Roller manufacturers recommend that at least three rollers are always in contact with load items. This is often a matter of adjusting the space between rollers to fine-tune the contact factor.
High or Low
Simply put, a high roller setting places them above a conveyor frame. This allows for load overhang. A low setting positions rollers below a conveyor frame. This makes the frame act as a guard. Keeping these fundamental factors in mind will help you get the perfect conveyor rollers for your operation.
