Rollers are widely used components that facilitate movement to various machine parts as well as provide support and transportation to materials moving through the machine. Rollers can be utilized for a variety of different functions, and as such, they come in many different types in order to suit many industrial applications. In this blog, we will give a brief overview of the most common types so you may get familiar with such components and know what kind of roller you need for your operations. We will begin by outlining the different materials they are available in. Rollers are typically made of either urethane/rubber, metallic, or resin.
Urethane/rubber rollers are commonly found in applications that need large contact areas or are used for holding friction forces. Additionally, they can be found in operations such as processing/smoothing wrinkles in paper and/or plastic films. These kinds of rollers are often employed where certain materials or components cannot withstand damage on their surface or on any integral parts. Moreover, they are available in a straight or crowned design with a grooved or knurled head that adds friction and increases the grip strength of the roller system.
Metallic rollers are designed for sustaining heavy duty components as they are high load-bearing with a medium touch. Moreover, they are available in straight or crowned designs and come in a variety of sizes suited for different bearings, set screws, and mounting methods.
Like urethane/rubber rollers, resin rollers function similarly. Resin rollers consist of a metallic core with a surface coating of resin. They are commonly employed in applications that require a soft touch or in cases where ink or resin coating is going to be applied. Resin rollers are only available in a straight shape, but can be modified with bearings or side mounted bolt hardware. Now that you are familiar with the different roller materials available, it is important to understand the most common types.
The first type are solid rollers which come in a straight profile, crowned profile, or barrel-shaped rolled profile. Moreover, they can be modified for some metallic alloys in the form of hollow cylinders with slots for bearings or other hardware mounts on the ends of the rollers.
Next, pipe rollers are designed as hollow pipes. Like solid rollers, they can be integrated with roller bearings at the mounting ends of a roller. Pipe rollers are light and easy to handle and remove for maintenance intervals. However, their hollow design makes it so they cannot handle high loads.
Another type of roller is the conveyor roller. Conveyor rollers are usually small and are made of a metallic material so that they can withstand high loads present in conveyor belts. This kind of roller is not equipped to carry loads directly, but instead serves as a drive shaft for belt-driven conveyor systems. Moreover, they are usually made of a robust carbon/hardened tool steel which gives them the capacity to transfer torque loads.
Similar to conveyor rollers, drive rollers are another such type that is cylindrically-shaped and plays a vital role in helping a roller conveyor system properly function. When a drive roller moves, it creates a chain reaction of movements throughout the system it is affixed to. Their main task is to keep the conveyor moving.
The last type of roller we will be covering is a
guide roller. Guide rollers are typically used to point or guide, as their name suggests, an object in a particular direction while also maintaining the integrity and alignment of a particular object that is moving.
When you decide to narrow down your selection of rollers and find the one that best fits your application, rely on Aerospace Exchange. Aerospace Exchange is the leading supplier of
aircraft rollers as well as other specialized components for a number of industry applications. To get started with the procurement process today, fill out and submit the RFQ form available on our website, and a dedicated representative will reach out to you with a quote for your comparisons. Moreover, as an AS9120B, ISO 9001:2015, and FAA AC 0056B certified and accredited enterprise, you can always depend on the quality of our products. Providing our customers with parts of the highest caliber is our top priority. Give us a call or email us at sales@aerospaceexchange.com and we thank you for choosing Aerospace Exchange as your go-to sourcing solution.
