Simply put, roller conveyors are a form of conveyor belt that utilizes rollers - evenly-spaced rotating cylinders - to allow objects to skate across its surface. They move material from one place to another destination, and often leverage gravity or implement small motors to do so. The transported material must have a rigid riding surface that is supported by a minimum of three of the rollers. They are ideal for accumulation applications, and the rollers can reduce the inertia of products at a higher speed, making them useful conveyors after high speed sorting machinery.

Since the design of these conveyors is simplistic, many advancements have been made to allow roller conveyors to keep up with industry trends. The biggest innovation is the drive or live roller conveyor, where each roller is connected to a motor via a belt/chain/shaft to increase controllability. This equalizes the rate with which materials move down the pathway, and also allows these conveyors to have limited use in reverse, i.e. from low to high elevation. They can work well in bi-directional applications, as the rollers can direct material in either direction by switching the direction of the motor. In the next section, we will investigate the different kinds of powered roller conveyors, as there are many kinds suitable for use with a wide range of materials.

Types of roller conveyors

This section will detail the important kinds of roller conveyors present in the industry. Also, these roller conveyors can be a mix of many designs, depending upon the manufacturer.

Gravity roller conveyor

The gravity roller conveyor is a frame that holds free-rotating rollers and uses gravity to slide material down the line. They are used to carry light to medium weight products that do not require a motor, which makes them economical solutions for designers. They can be purchased with accessories such as curves, pop up stops, supports and hanging brackets, slide rails, and more, and are often made from steel, aluminum, and plastic. They are often implemented as temporary conveyors, alternatives for skate wheel conveyors, heavy-duty applications, and accumulating loads that do not require any specialized timing.

Belt driven roller conveyor

The belt-driven live roller conveyor utilizes a motorized belt to power each roller, allowing this conveyor type to control the motion of the materials being transported. They are preferred over typical belt conveyors when items must be stopped momentarily at control points, items must be turned, and/or side loading or slide unloading is necessary. The belt can be straight (as shown in Figure 3) or can be in a V shape for curved roller conveyors. Some belt-driven roller conveyors can support products wider than the frame width, thanks to the rollers being higher than the frame. In any arrangement, the rubber belt underneath the rollers must not encounter moisture, excessive heat, or debris as these conditions can quickly degrade the system. These conveyors are often used for handling medium to heavy loads that are dry and clean, and which require periodic stopping and/or reversible action.

Besides, there are many other kinds of conveyors except for roller conveyos like Motorized Roller Conveyor. Chain Conveyors and Belt Conveyors are quite popular in the market. For example, there are Double Speed Chain Conveyor, Steel Chain Conveyor, Slat Chain Cconveyor, Normal Belt Conveyor, Module Belt Conveyor and other different types.