Roller Conveyors have numerous uses. They are best known as a transport mechanism to move things from one place to another. They are thought of mainly as being used in factories to move equipment or stock from one part of the factory to another. The obvious advantage here is that it doesn’t involve staff having to lift and move heavy items, and items can be sent on their way and will take it to the other end without any disruption. It can also save on having to buy equipment such as fork lift trucks, which are also more expensive to maintain than a roller conveyor in subsequent years.
There are three main types of roller conveyor. One such type is a pallet conveyor, which is simply a roller conveyor large enough and strong enough to carry whole pallets, again reducing the need for forklift trucks. These types of conveyors are mainly used in loading bays.
If you need to move fragile and lightweight items, then a driven roller conveyor is the one for you, as they are more flexible and provide greater control.
A gravity roller conveyor should not be used for fragile and lightweight items, instead they are best at transporting items that are flat and have a low centre of gravity, in effect items that will not easily topple over. The name comes from the fact that gravity is used to transport items, there is no power required. If using a gravity roller conveyor, the area you want to transport items between needs to be on an incline to prevent the items stopping. Alternatively, if the space is flat, it can be used to assist staff in moving items, as it is easier to push an item along a gravity roller conveyor than carry it. An incline can be generated by adjusting the stand at one end. With there being no motor, they are in effect just a series of rollers and are therefore the cheapest type.
Depending on the size of items you will normally be using, the best sized roller to use will change. Varying widths can be bought changing the size of the surface of the rollers, as can the diameter of the rollers.
Roller conveyors do not have to be on large scale; a few rollers together at the bottom of a conveyor belt will slow and stop items moving down the belt. Even the all-conquering British cycling team at the Olympics used rollers to balance their wheels between when warming up. A simple cylinder can therefore be used in numerous ways, and can be a cheap form of transportation in a factory.
Article written by Richard Landon from www.lacconveyors.co.uk, experts in conveyor systems, including the roller conveyor.
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