How Are Conveyor Roller Tubes Processed? Cutting, Bearing-Seat Beads, Belt Grooves and Reduced Ends
A conveyor roller is a tube with a bearing housing and shaft at each end. Most of the work, and most of the quality problems, are in how the tube itself is prepared. This article explains the usual tube operations and how they are done by cold roll forming.
The parts of a conveyor roller
- Roller tube: welded steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel (food and wash-down) or aluminium (light duty).
- Bearing housings pressed or fixed into both tube ends.
- Shaft, bearings and seals.
- Drive features on driven rollers: belt grooves, sprockets or a tapered sleeve.
Tube operations
| Operation | Why | How |
|---|---|---|
| Cut to length with square ends | The roller length sets the conveyor width; square ends keep the bearing housings aligned. | Roll cutting: no chips, no kerf loss (TD-41860) |
| Bead or groove behind the housing | Locates the bearing housing and stops it moving inward. | External roll beading or grooving (TD-41335) |
| Belt grooves | O-ring or round-belt grooves for line-shaft and roller-to-roller drives. | Roll grooving with a profiled wheel (TD-41335) |
| Reduced or tapered ends | Push-fit ends, tapered rollers for curves. | End reducing (TD-876) |
| Several operations in one setup | Fewer handlings, consistent position between features. | Special purpose roll forming (TD-42001) |
Why roll forming instead of machining
- No chips left inside the tube to reach the bearings.
- The wall is formed, not removed, so the tube keeps its strength at the groove.
- Stable depth from hydraulic depth control, so belts run at the same tension on every roller.
- Coated tube such as galvanized steel is formed instead of cut through, so less bare steel is exposed.
What decides the machine
Tube OD and wall, material, the number of features per tube and how often you change roller size. Each tube size needs its own wheels and holders; changing size means changing that tooling set. Send your roller drawing and we run samples on your tube. See conveyor roller tube machines, or use our roll grooving service in Taiwan for small lots.
FAQ
Can stainless roller tubes be grooved?
Yes. Stainless, steel, aluminium and copper tube can be roll grooved; depth and profile depend on wall thickness.
How do we start?
Send roller tube OD × wall × length, material and drawing to sales@tdco.com.tw.