You know the feeling. Another roller seized up mid-shift. Another bearing that was supposed to last years gone after months. Another emergency call that throws your whole maintenance schedule off track.
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We’ve spent years watching maintenance teams battle the same roller failures over and over. The frustrating part? Most of these failures are completely preventable.
Here’s five things that we’ve learned to keep your conveyor rollers running longer and avoid those midnight callouts.
Your sealing system is there to keep contaminants out. When water or dust gets past that seal, it mixes with your grease and starts breaking down your bearings from the inside.
But here’s the tricky part: if you make your seal too tight, you can introduce excessive drag and heat, potentially leading to material creep that will compromise the rollers’ performance.
“Getting it right is a balancing act,” says Brayden Kubala, Principal Engineer – Idlers at PROK. “Your seal system is the first line of defence against contamination, like rain, humidity, condensation, or water from washdown hoses. A good sealing system balances enough protection with low drag. You could create the world’s best seal, but if it introduces too much drag, it’s not viable.”
Watch out for seals. Their performance can change drastically after six months of operation. For example, radial oil seals that run directly onto your shaft often introduce shaft wear, and this creates grooves that allow contaminants to bypass the seal. This wear develops gradually and won’t show up initially in testing, but eventually they’ll wear a groove into the shaft. Instead, look for designs with a separate stainless steel running surface. It costs a bit more upfront but saves you from replacing shafts later.
And remember, your site conditions matter. Thermal expansion, production tolerances, even the humidity levels all affect how well your seals work. If your supplier hasn’t factored these in, you’re setting yourself up for problems.
Sometimes contamination isn’t your problem, it’s the design itself. I’ve seen countless cases where the shaft is simply too thin for the job. When it flexes under load, it creates angular movement at the bearing. That’s a recipe for early failure.
“Many failures stem from bearings that are too small for the actual load, even if they technically fit,” says Brayden.
Here’s what makes it worse: on most sites, nobody has the exact load figures handy. You’re relying on specs from years ago or best guesses. A good supplier should be able to recommend the right setup based on similar conveyors they’ve worked with.
One sneaky failure mode to watch for is fretting corrosion. Tiny movements wear away protective layers, causing metal fatigue you won’t spot until it’s too late. A roller that should last seven years fails in two, and by then, the evidence is long gone.
Before you reorder the same spec you’ve always used, ask yourself: is this really the right bearing for the job? Sometimes spending 10% more on a bigger bearing saves you three changeouts down the line.
Picture this: a rock gets wedged between your roller and the frame. Without non-rotating end shields, something’s got to give. Usually your frame buckles or the roller drops out completely. Now you’ve got structural damage, safety hazards, and a mess to clean up.
Non-rotating end shields prevent this whole scenario. They also handle high-pressure washdowns better and reduce the risk of someone getting their hand or clothing caught.
“If you don’t have a non-rotating end shield and something wedges in, the roller can drop out of the frame – that’s a serious safety hazard,” Kubala says.
If you’re running impact zones or anywhere that gets regular washdowns, these should be non-negotiable.
This one even trips up experienced teams. You’d think sealed bearings with rubber lips would always beat shielded bearings with metal covers for protection, right?
Not exactly.
Sealed bearings work great for brief water exposure during a 20-minute washdown, for example. But leave them sitting in water or constantly exposed to moisture, and they become a liability. The pressure difference slowly draws water inside, where it gets trapped. Your grease breaks down, and your bearing life plummets.
“Sealed bearing are superior for intermittent/short exposure, but they’re not suitable for exposure to humidity/moisture over extended periods of time where they will start to draw moisture into the seal” explains Brayden.
Plus, sealed bearings create more drag, generate more heat, and cost roughly double. When you multiply that across thousands of rollers, you’re burning money and energy for no good reason.
Shielded bearings paired with a proper external sealing system usually give you better protection at lower cost. If your supplier can’t explain why they’ve chosen one over the other, that’s a red flag.
This silent failure mode catches everyone out eventually. You order the right bearing size, install it properly, and it still fails early. Why?
Internal clearance (the tiny gap between balls and raceways) changes once you press that bearing into place. Too tight a fit compresses the races and eliminates that crucial clearance. Too loose, and you get unwanted movement under load.
“You need to consider how the housing compresses the outer race and how the shaft expands the inner race; that affects the actual clearance inside the bearing once it’s installed,” says Brayden.
The worst part? Everything looks fine during installation. The failure shows up months later with no obvious cause. By then, you’ve probably installed dozens more the same way.
Next time you’re ordering rollers, resist the urge to just replace what’s always been there. Those specs might have been wrong from day one, chosen by someone juggling a dozen other decisions during construction.
Ask your supplier the hard questions:
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If they can’t answer clearly, find someone who can.
Because at the end of the day, you’re the one who gets the midnight call when a roller fails. You’re the one explaining why the shutdown’s running over. And you’re the one who can stop it from happening again.
“Ask the tough questions about what’s already installed,” says Brayden. “There’s no point in doing the same thing and expecting a different result.”
Conveyor systems are integral to the efficiency and productivity of many industries. From manufacturing to food processing, conveyor system parts facilitate the movement of materials, thereby streamlining operations and improving workflow.
Some of the most important belt conveyor parts include the following.
Rollers are elongated cylinders attached to the pulley. Among all the components of a conveyor system, idler rolls play a critical function. Conveyor Systems & Engineering, Inc. offers three types of conveyor rollers:
Standard rollers are versatile components made of steel used in simplistic roller conveyor systems involving medium load capacity. These rollers for a belt conveyor system are designed for general material handling tasks in packaging and warehousing.
Heavy-duty rollers are made of steel and engineered to handle high load capacities, making them ideal for industrial settings, such as mining and construction. These rollers are built to withstand the rigorous demands of heavy loads and harsh operating conditions.
Coated rollers are made of plastic and feature a layer of rubber that provides extra grip and protection. These rollers have a medium load capacity and are used in applications and as replacements in the food industry and printing industry.
Warehousing: In warehousing, standard conveyor rollers are necessary for moving boxes and containers through sorting and assembly lines. They help streamline the material handling process, increasing efficiency and reducing manual labor.
Mining and Construction: In the mining and construction industries, heavy-duty rollers are essential for transporting heavy materials and withstanding harsh conditions. These rollers provide the durability and robustness needed to handle the extreme demands of these environments.
Manufacturing and Food Processing: Automotive and electronics factories utilize heavy-duty conveyor belt rollers for parts assembly. In the food processing industry, hygienic and easy-to-clean coated idler rollers are best suited.
Bearings are important conveyor belt replacement parts that reduce friction and wear, enabling the smooth rotation of rollers and other components.
Types and Specifications
Maintenance Tips
Conveyor belts constitute the core component of the conveyor frame, responsible for transporting materials.
Types of Belts
Selection Criteria
A conveyor pulley (head pulley or tail pulley) and drive unit is essential to control the movement and tension of the belt.
Pulleys
Drive Units
Selecting the right parts for your belt conveyors system depends on a range of factors:
Our conveyor rollers and other parts are designed to meet the rugged demands of industry operations, ensuring durability, efficiency, and safety. Our products are constructed with high-quality materials and precise engineering to deliver reliable performance and long-lasting service life.
We understand that different industries have unique requirements. Our team works closely with clients to provide customized solutions tailored to their specific needs, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.
With over 27 years of experience in material handling, Conveyor Systems & Engineering, Inc. brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every project.
We offer a wide selection of conveyor parts, including:
We provide comprehensive support and services, including installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that your conveyor systems operate at peak performance, offering guidance and assistance whenever needed.
We continuously invest in the latest technology and innovations to improve our products and services. By staying at the forefront of industry advancements, we ensure that our clients benefit from the most efficient and effective material-handling solutions available.
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