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Unveiling the Secrets: Key Components and Bearing Seals of Conveyor Idlers for Optimal Performance

Conveyor idlers are an essential component of conveyor belt systems, they are used to reduce the operational resistance of the conveyor belt and effectively limit the inclination of the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is supported by conveyor idler brackets, which are typically composed of several conveyor idlers. The structure of a conveyor idler includes a shaft, bearings, seals, end caps, and a tube, the basic requirements for a conveyor idler are that it must be reliable, have low rotational resistance, be cost-effective, have a smooth surface, have low radial runout, and have low power consumption.

Conveyor idlers produced today use stamped bearing housings and dust covers, and the outer tube is made of seamless or welded steel pipe. They typically use specialized bearings and high-efficiency lubricating grease, as well as internal and external sealing forms. The external seal is a radial double labyrinth seal, while the internal seal prevents oxide deposits and paint chips from entering the bearing and prevents lubricating grease from leaking out. The tube is welded to the bearing housing, these types of conveyor idlers have a long service life and operate smoothly and flexibly.

Conveyor idler bearings use low-friction, deep-groove ball bearings with large clearances, the basic deep-groove ball bearing type consists of an outer ring, an inner ring, a set of steel balls, and a set of retainers, there are two types of deep-groove ball bearings: single-row and double-row. Additionally, non-contact seals do not touch the sealing components and have a suitable gap seal. Conveyor idlers with this type of seal generate almost no frictional heat during operation and have no wear, they are particularly suitable for high-speed and high-temperature applications. The commonly used non-contact seals include clearance-type, labyrinth-type, and gasket-type seals, which are used in different situations, the smaller the gap in the non-contact seal, the better, on the other hand, contact seals are a type of seal in which the sealing components come into direct contact with the mating components and there is no gap. Due to the direct contact between the sealing components and the mating components, these seals have high friction and heat generation during operation, and are prone to poor lubrication, surface wear, and decreased sealing effectiveness and performance, therefore, they are only suitable for medium or low-speed rubber conveyor idlers. Common contact seals include felt seals and rubber cover seals, which can be used in different situations.

Additionally, conveyor idlers can be classified into general-purpose and specialized types according to their usage, general-purpose conveyor idlers refer to load-bearing and return conveyor idlers installed in conveyor lines. They can be equipped with devices to prevent the rubber conveyor belt from running off during operation. Typically, three conveyor idlers are arranged in a trough shape, with the conveyor idlers facing inward toward the plane, they are mainly used for transitional guidance of rubber conveyor belts, conveyor belt anti-deviation, and buffering. Load-bearing conveyor idler sets can be composed of a single flat conveyor idler or two or three sub-conveyor idlers arranged horizontally, this method has the advantage of reducing the height of the conveyor idler frame, reducing the effective distance between mechanical conveyor idler sets, and can be used in places with small stiffness and space to reduce bending and compression of rubber conveyor belt products.

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