Roller conveyorA roller conveyor consists of several rollers.
Figure 1. Example of a roller conveyor.
|Function||Conveying large, solid objects. Often used as transition between lines and in connection with directional changes.|
|Construction||The rollers themselves must be of one material, e.g. full turned plastic roller or allwelded stainless steel roller. If both plastic and steel are used in the roller, the materials will expand differently. This could lead to cracks which may be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Roller bearings in rollers should be avoided. If roller bearings are necessary, they should be IP66 sealed.
|Cleanability||In so far as possible, the construction should be open/removable and thus easy to clean. Rollers should be removable. Plastic rollers disintegrate over time due to detergents.
Rollers should be cleaned thoroughly before start-up as dust will cause abrasion.
Figure 2. Unhygienic construction. Plenty of dirt can accumulate between the synthetic roller and the metal pin.
Figure 3. The rollers themselves must be of one material, e.g. full turned plastic roller or all-welded stainless steel roller (as shown to the left and right). Roller bearings in rollers (as shown in the middle) should be avoided, if possible. If roller bearings are necessary, they should be IP66 sealed.
Figure 4. The width of a roller should not be increased by placing more rollers beside each other, as it would be impossible to remove dirt. Must be solid-cast in the full width.
Figure 5. Pop-riveted roller produced in two different materials – is unhygienic. Dirt will accumulate inside the roller and in the rivet. The distance between the roller and the frame is too small for cleaning to be sufficient. Alternatively, the roller must be dismounted for cleaning.