HDPE Conveyor Roller has become integral to modern material handling, leveraging high-density polyethylene's robust characteristics. These rollers offer significant benefits over traditional materials in conveyor technology, including enhanced durability and reduced wear under continuous operation. Notably, their light weight and resistance to corrosion make them particularly suitable for a range of industrial environments-from mining to food processing. This adaptability ensures that HDPE rollers play a crucial role in improving operational efficiencies across various sectors, providing a reliable solution in demanding industrial applications.
HDPE roller can be divided into the following several types as per the difference of the polymer materials.
- UHMWPE roller. UHMWPE is one kind of polyethylene with very high molecular weight. It stands out for its features of low friction factor, strong abrasive and impact resistance, anti-corrosion and so on and is the most commonly used polymer roller material at present.
- PU roller. PU is one kind of synthetic resin with super elasticity and abrasive resistance. It can be combined with a metal or plastic core to form a rubber coated or aligning roller to convey the materials prone to slip or deviate.
- PVC roller. PVC is a usual plastic material. It has good corrosion resistance and insulation whereas poor wear resistance and temperature tolerance and is suitable for conveying materials with high humidity or high acidity or alkalinity.
- Other HDPE roller. Apart from the above three common types of HDPE rollers, there are also some other types of them, such as PP, PA, PTFE and son on and they all have their own specific performance and application.
Compare with its metal or ceramic and other traditional counterparts, several advantages emerge as follow:
- Lighter weight. The density of HDPE roller is commonly between 0.9~2g/cm3, and is far more lower than that of metal or ceramic, so its weight is light therefore the installation and replace is easier.
- Lower wear. The friction factor of HDPE roller is low, wear resistance is strong, as a result, the belt or the material is hard to be worn and torn and the service life is extended.
- Corrosion resistance.
HDPE roller has good chemical corrosion resistance, can withstand the erosion of medium such as acid, alkaline, salt, oil and others and is suitable for various harsh environments. Most HDPE materials have good tolerance to water and common chemicals, in a damp environment, it is very hard for water to penetrate and erode their inner construction. Take UHMWPE roller as an example, its strong chemical stability makes it very difficult to react with water, and can withstand the slight acid and alkali corrosion that may exist in humid environments to ensure the stable operation for a long term.
Metal roller: In a damp environment, metals are prone to rust due to electrochemical reactions with oxygen and water in the atmosphere. Rust will not only affect the surface smoothness of the roller, increase the wear of the conveyor belt, but also weaken the structural strength of the roller and shorten the service life. For example, ordinary carbon steel roller, after a period of use in a humid environment, the surface will appear obvious rust.
4. Water absorption and swelling deformation
HDPE roller: Low water absorption. The swelling deformation due to the water absorption is minimal, which can maintain the original shape and dimensional accuracy, ensure the good fit with the belt, and make the conveyor system run stably even if it is in a humid environment for a long time.
Metal roller: Although metal itself won't expand due to water absorption just like the HDPE roller, the rust layer generated by surface rust will expand in volume, resulting in the uneven surface of the roller, damaging the fit between the belt and the rollers, affecting the conveying effect, and even causing the conveyor belt to run off.
5. Non-skid propertyHDPE roller:
The surface friction factor of some HDPE materials is moderate, in a damp environment, it still can provide a better friction for the conveyor belt, prevent slippage and safeguard the stability of conveying.
Metal roller: In a humid environment, the metal surface is prone to form a water film, decreasing the friction between the conveyor belt and rollers, increasing the risk of slipping, and additional anti-slipping measures are needed.
6. Anti-static. HDPE roller has good anti-static properties, it can prevent effectively the occurrence of accidents such as electrostatic sparks or dust explosions and improve safety.
7. Noise reduction. HDPE roller can achieve good vibration dampening and sound insulation, so the noise and vibration generated from the operation can be lower effectively and working environment can be improved.
Because of its excellent performance and features, HDPE roller has been widely used in various industries and areas, the most important of which are:
- Belt conveyor. Belt conveyor is an mechanical equipment that leverages the belt as the traction and load carrying component and conveys the materials or articles continuously. It has been used in wide range of industries such as coal mining, port, metallurgy, chemical, construction materials and so on. As the core component of the belt conveyor, HDPE roller can effectively reduce the inherent weight of the conveyor, decrease the running resistance, improve the efficiency and safety of the conveying.
- Incline and decline conveyor. Incline and decline conveyor is a kind of mechanical equipment that uses a belt to transport at an inclined angle, which is suitable for conveying materials in a limited space at a large inclination or vertical angle, such as coal mine or open pit mine. As a key component of incline and decline conveyor, HDPE roller can effectively prevent the belt from slipping or deviation and improve the conveying stability and reliability.
- Other types of conveyors. In addition to the belt conveyor and incline and decline conveyor, there are also some other types of conveyors, such as drum conveyors, chain conveyors, spiral conveyors and so on, HDPE rollers can also be used on them to serve as the supporting or guiding part to improve their wear resistance and corrosion resistance.
HDPE Roller Models and Features Table
| Material |
Models and Features |
Applicable Scenario |
| UHMWPE |
Various specifications, Φ89mm~159mm, length 190mm, 240mm, 280mm, 305mm, 600mm, 1150mm, 1500mm and so on |
Cement Plant, mining and others |
| PU |
Models are differentiated according to design, dimension, rubber coated or aligning or not |
Materials prone to slip or deviation |
| PVC |
Fewer models, wear resistance and temperature resistance is relatively poor |
Materials with high humidity or high acid or alkali |
| HDPE |
Can be classified according to the application scenarios, such as rollers for belt conveyor, rollers for harsh environments such as mines |
Belt conveyor, mines and so on |
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