Idlers are fitted to different sections of the conveyor belt depending on the purposes of their use. There is a wide variety of idlers available; however, the four most common idlers each have particular benefits. Some of these benefits include impact absorption, support for the carry and return sides of the belt or maintaining correct tracking of the belt. 

About RPIC Rollers:

The range of our conveyor rollers includes both steel and HDPE trough and return rollers. Also available are impact and flat & training return rollers. The rollers and frames are manufactured to different standards or designs according to your special working condition requirements with some innovative and maintenance-saving designs. Our rollers are fitted with quality deep ball ZZ C3 bearings for maximum life. Belt Widths of our SPD rollers range from 400-2000. Larger sizes are available on request.

Roller lifespan could be assured 30,000 to 50,000 hours under normal working conditions and maintenance. 

Trough Idlers

Trough idlers are the most common type of carry idler, which are typically designed with 3 or 5 idler rollers and are fitted to the carry-side of the conveyor belt. The 5-roll idler offers more uniform cross section, resulting in a greater net carrying capacity. The 3-roll design has a centre idler roll and wing idlers on either side.

The benefit of using a trough idler is that they help to ensure the load-bearing capacity of the conveyor belt is the same along the length of the belt. With a more even distribution of load-bearing, the maximum capacity of material at the loading point won’t fall off of the belt.

Flat Return Idlers

Flat return idlers are the most common idler on the return side of a conveyor with single steel mounted on two drop brackets. Although a one roller design for flat return idlers is the most common, they are also available with two rollers.

The purpose of using a flat return idler is to support the belt from the return side to prevent stretching, sagging and failure of the belt, which increases the service life of the conveyor belt.

Impact Idlers

Impact idlers are designed for loading areas of the belt, where belt damage is common due to the falling material and consistent impacts. Impact rollers absorb impact forces helping prevent damage to the conveyor belt, idler frame and surrounding structure from occurring. 

The key benefit of using impact idlers is the prevention of damage to the belt as belts are costly to repair and replace. Therefore, they help improve productivity and decrease maintenance costs.

Training Return Idlers

Training return idlers detect belt misalignment and correct it, ensuring the belt tracks accurately at the tail end of the conveyor during operations.

If the belt misaligns and rubs against a fixed structure, the head chute or conveyor component, severe damage to the belt can occur as well as damage to anything the belt makes contact with. Therefore, using a training return idler helps to reduce belt damage and the associated repair costs to the belt, structure and components.