What Are Roller Conveyors?
A roller conveyor is a device that moves heavy loads by sliding tubular rollers fixed at right angles to the rails.
Normally, a great deal of force is required to lift a load when transporting it. But with roller conveyors, the load can be moved simply by rolling the rollers, which has the advantage of reducing the time required to transport numerous items.
Uses of Roller Conveyors
Roller Conveyors are mainly used in factories and other places where large quantities of goods are produced at once, as well as in logistics institutions. The ability to transport goods at a constant speed can significantly reduce man-hours in conveying operations.
Since the rotating force of the rollers propels the load, the friction applied is reduced by about 10% compared to moving the load at a standstill. In addition, the conveyor is safer than conveyors that use people or machines, making it a necessary piece of equipment to ensure factory safety.
Principle of Roller Conveyors
Roller conveyors are available in two types: free conveyors and driven conveyors, the most significant difference between the two being whether they rely on a motor to apply the force required to transport the load.
A free conveyor is one in which the rollers are rotated by gravity, like a roller slide, and the load is transported by the rotational force. They do not use electric power and can be mounted inexpensively.
On the other hand, a driven conveyor uses a motor to rotate the rollers, which in turn uses the motive force as propulsion to transport the load. Both types of roller conveyors can move loads stably. But they are designed to move tubular objects by sliding over them at a fixed distance, so they are not suitable for transporting small objects that might fall between the gaps between the rollers.
Rollers used in roller conveyors are made of various materials, such as steel, aluminum, and plastic, and are used according to the weight of the load to be transported.