How to Calculate Load Carrying Capacity of Conveyor Rollers?

Lets Calculatewidth of the rollers = width of the carton box + 50mmSo Roller length is 350mmNow we have to decide how many rollers will be below the carton box? For a component, Box, product to be stable 3nos of rollers are required below it, assuming equal distribution of weight in the product. So 400/3 = 133mm will be roller pitch. ( Roller Pitch is always considered as Centre to Centre) . We will consider roller pitch as 100mm on a safer side. so there will be 4 rollers below the box at any time. It means 50kg weight will be distributed on 4nos of rollers. Calculating further we shall get 12.5kg Finally we need 12.5kg of load carrying capacity roller over a length of 350mm.

​In Spite of all above calculations and load Capacity Chart, one should note that above the capacities at the chart are indicative only. The load carrying capacity is dependent on lot of other factors like product weight concentricity, impact load generated on the rollers while loading the component on conveyor.

UDL = Uniformly Distributed Load needs to be considered while selection of rollers.

Rollers are integral part of Roller Conveyors. Gravity Roller Conveyors as well as motorized roller

conveyors are formed using rollers. The optimum roller selection is necessary, to avoid undue events in future.

If the under capacity rollers are selected, there are chances the required life of the conveyor cannot be guaranteed.

Higher capacity rollers will result in increased investment and so ROI.

For this, optimum roller selection is very necessary.

Roller conveyors are used for various usages such as conveying carton boxes, plastic crates, totes, drums of sizes, intermediate containers, wooden as well as metallic pallets, heavy duty automobile components and many more.

Here one should note that, we are discussing about conveyor rollers of a "Roller Conveyors". Roller

Conveyors are used for conveying carton boxes, components, etc. These are called unit handling

conveyors.

Bulk handling conveyor rollers which are used to make trough belt conveyors are in discussion here.

Please read here about the difference between the two.

Gravity Roller Conveyors move the product by way of gravity from higher heights to lower heights. Since no motor is used in these conveyors, there is no electric or any other consumption. They work on the basis of gravitational force. Gravity roller conveyors are the most widely used conveyors all over the

world.

Motorized Roller Conveyors move the product with motor. Rollers have various options to run it using

power. Rollers are run with sprockets, timing pulley, o groove and poly v pulley. When controlled product

speeds are required, motorized roller conveyors are used.

The selection of conveyor rollers plays a major role in designing a roller conveyor. The selection of

conveyor rollers depend on

• The weight of the component

• Load carrying capacity of conveyor rollers

• The loading and unloading conditions

• Speeds of the conveyor

• Working temperature

• Work environment

• Installation industry.

Weight of the component

The Weight of the component, plays important role. The weight of the component should be distributed inside the container properly. If the weight in a box is uneven, the behavior changes. In such cases, the roller pitch plays important role.

Load Carrying Capacity of Conveyor RollersWhat is so special about that? One has to understand that the load-carrying capacity of a roller is

distributive and not concentric.

If you have to carry a jumbo Bag Pallet of 1 ton weight, it does not mean that the weight capacity of

each roller should be 1 ton. If the size of the pallet is 1mtr x 1mtr, the load is on the area 1sqm. The

rollers which will be in the area of 1 SqM, will have load of 1 ton. This load is not on a single roller. If

there are 10 rollers in this area, the load of 1ton, will be divided on 10 rollers.

It also means that if a roller is having length 500mm is given load-carrying capacity as 50Kg, it implies that you can put a load on the 500mm equally and at once. It is a distributive load. If you put the weight of 50kg on any small portion of the roller say 100mm, is not allowed. it is concentric

THE LOADING & UNLOADING CONDITIONS

The loading and unloading conditions should equally be paid off. A metallic component of 50kg, can run on a roller conveyor. But if while loading it is dropped from a height of 50mm, the roller may be damaged .

MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION

The contact material of the rollers plays important role in selection of material of construction. Corrosive Chemicals corrode the rollers and life of the rollers is affected. Environmental Conditions such as seashore industries requires ss304 material as the humid environment reduces the life of the rollers.

In some chemical industries, the normal working conditions become humid like seashore which affects the roller working.

when rollers are to be used in chemical industries, the behavior of the roller material with roller material, should already be tested.

WORKING TEMPRATURE

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