Gravity Roller Conveyor Systems

Gravity Conveyors

An important value of a gravity conveyor is moving items without power.
Gravity conveyor systems are two types of gravity conveyors: gravity wheel and gravity roller conveyors.

We bet you have heard about other types, such as gravity feed conveyors, gravity spiral conveyors, gravity pallet conveyors, flexible gravity conveyors, and even heavy-duty gravity. What should you keep in mind?

Talking about the technical side, wheel, roller, and flexible variations present a big family of conveyors.

Rail wheel conveyors

Rail wheel conveyors are commonly floor- or rack-mounted to convey unit loads utilizing two or more parallel rail conveyors. Rail-wheel conveyors are lightweight. There are some models of rail wheel conveyors. They vary in weight, number of wheels per foot, and maximum frame capacity. For instance, model RCD rail wheel conveyors are available in two popular styles. Model RCD-3 features wheels in a 3” pattern, while model RCD-1.5 includes a 1-1/2” staggered dense wheel pattern.

Gravity skate wheel conveyors

Gravity skate wheel conveyors are designed for two big applications: straight and curved sections. Frames: formed galvanized steel channel 2-1/2” x 1” x 12 ga. Frame capacity: galvanized steel 350 lbs. max. distributed live load per 10’ section, or 1300 lbs. per 5’ section. The curves are 4’ or 5’ outside radius.
Please note that different manufacturers indicate different numbers of wheels that should be placed under the product. This depends on the total width of the conveyor and the model. A gravity flow skate wheel conveyor is used to move light loads with smooth flat bottoms, such as cartons and plastic boxes, crates, sheets, etc.

You can view the following items here:

Galvanized Gravity Roller Conveyor Straight Sections for light-duty applications.
Galvanized Gravity Roller Conveyor Straight Sections for medium-duty applications.
Galvanized Gravity Roller Conveyor Curved Sections for light-duty applications.
Galvanized Gravity Roller Conveyor Curved Sections for medium-duty applications.

Gravity roller conveyors

Gravity roller conveyors are used to move loads with an uneven bottom. Thus, items should never be longer than the length of the rollers. Notice that the conveyor’s total width includes the frame’s width, which is one inch on either side of the rails. So, if your package requires 16 inches, the gravity roller conveyor width should be at least 18 inches.
There are various models of straight and curved gravity roller conveyors. Curves with a 4′-0″ inside radius are manufactured in 45-degree sections and require full support at the center of the curve.

There are also two types of curved gravity roller conveyors: single and double roller curves. Gravity conveyor roller capacity is available from 250 to 540 lbs. per roller.
For straight sections of a steel gravity roller conveyor, roller capacity can be 700 and 2500 lbs. per roller, depending on the model. This allows them to be used for the transportation of pallets. However, be careful while utilizing the conveyor 24/7/365 as the equipment can malfunction.
Gravity roller conveyor systems exist in some variations: light-duty gravity roller conveyors, medium-duty, and heavy-duty gravity roller conveyors. This depends on the standard roller sizes and loads. Larger rollers can support more weight, but they are more expensive.

Gravity-feed conveyors

Gravity-feed conveyors support transferring materials onto another type of conveyor or equipment. Typically, a gravity feed roller conveyor is used to automatically feed products into an assembly system. The times when feed conveyors were only talked about in the case of raw material feeding are gone. Now you can use them to assemble items up to a certain level and then push them to the surface of the next equipment, such as a gravity belt conveyor, to eliminate labor.

Benefits of gravity conveyors

1. Cost-effective: they don’t require electrical components or motors, reducing both initial and ongoing operational costs.
2. Environmentally friendly: they move items under gravity with no energy
3. Flexibility: Gravity conveyors are versatile. They can be straight, curved, or inclined, and various accessories such as gates, stops, and diverters can be added to customize the system according to requirements. In addition, you can use flexible gravity conveyors with various configurations.
4. Space-saving: they can be particularly beneficial in facilities where space is limited or where layouts need to be optimized for efficient material flow. For example, gravity spiral conveyors are used to move small to medium-sized items from top to bottom.
5. Scalability: Gravity conveyors can be modified as production needs change. Additional sections can be added or removed relatively quickly, allowing businesses to adapt their material handling systems to fluctuating demand or operational requirements and areas. You can use them for order picking, sorting, accumulation, and truck loading/unloading.

Contact us today to discuss which conveyor system will better support the growth of your business.