a guide to choosing the best roller conveyor for your warehouse

• How Does a Roller Conveyor Work?
• Types of Roller Conveyors
• What are the Benefits of Conveyors?
• How to Choose the Best Roller Conveyor for Your Warehouse
• Applications of Roller Conveyors in Warehouses
• Tips for Implementing Your Warehouse Conveyor System
• Let us Help
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Efficiency and Throughput

Roller Conveyors boost efficiency and throughput. Goods can travel substantial differences quickly, and the conveyor reduces bottlenecks and manual handling. Materials flow faster through the system and in larger amounts.

Improved Safety and Ergonomics

Roller Conveyors minimise manual handling and make it safer to handle large, bulky or heavy items. Operators can handle them more comfortably and at less risk of injury.

Throughput and Drive Requirements

What volume of goods are you working with? Gravity roller conveyors may be good for manual sorting and handling light items in low-to-medium volumes, but powered rollers are far more efficient when working with high volumes. They transport heavier loads at a consistent speed, which increases throughput and is beneficial for businesses that need to maintain more precise control over product flow.

Space and Layout

Gravity-powered conveyors require an incline to operate and are good for transporting light items over short distances. They’re cost-effective because they don’t require a power source and because they’re versatile and can adapt to different layouts.

Powered roller conveyors suit processes that require more automation. They can operate on flat paths or inclined ones, which makes them good for complex layouts or multilevel ones. It’s also possible to customise them better to the needs of the business, such as with sensors, controls and diverts, and connect them to other pieces of equipment. 

Goods-in and Dispatch Areas

You’ll commonly find roller conveyors in areas where the facility receives goods or dispatches them from the warehouse. The conveyors streamline loading and unloading at the docks and cut out much manual handling.

You’ll find them in preloading areas, where logistics teams are preparing goods, especially pallets, for loading, or at the loading area itself and transporting the goods into trailers or from them. 

Picking and Packing Zones

Roller conveyors connect different areas of the warehouse, including picking and packing zones. The conveyors help to connect workstations efficiently and move materials between them quickly.

Map Your Material Flow

When implementing a conveyor for a warehouse, the layout is crucial. Identify where the conveyor will save you the most time and where it will eliminate bottlenecks. Sound planning is essential to ensure the conveyor doesn’t hinder operations.

Ensure Proper Roller Spacing and Alignment

Roller spacing and alignment is important for smooth flow of materials. At least three rollers should sit underneath the material being conveyed. This provides a stable base and distributes the weight more evenly. It also ensures the weight doesn’t exceed the load capacity of individual rollers.

Roller conveyors, especially powered roller conveyors, allow businesses to scale up, improve operational safety and boost throughput and productivity. However, costs and maintenance are significant factors to consider and, in the case of powered rollers, entail a major investment upfront. Businesses that go ahead with the purchase can enjoy a long-term ROI.

As well as the benefits stated, businesses that invest in a Powered Roller Conveyor will lower the downtime of machinery in their places of business, which contributes to productivity as the conveyor is in operation more time. Otherwise, they’d have to call out an engineer for unplanned repairs, which can increase the downtime and the cost if the engineer has to order parts from a supplier, wait for them to arrive and then install them.

We offer a range of Conveyors and Maintenance Services to support our clients. If you’re looking to enjoy the benefits of installing a roller conveyor at your warehouse, contact us by email at hello@joloda.com, call us on 0151 427 8954 or message us via our contact form below and we’ll be happy to advise you.

You don’t have to worry about the installation. We’ll visit your premises and evaluate them before recommending the best conveyor(s). Our expert engineers will then install them for you.

Are roller conveyors suitable for heavy loads?

Roller conveyors are specially designed to handle heavy loads because they’re made of durable materials. Powered roller conveyors allow businesses to transfer high volumes over longer distances.

Do roller conveyors require power to operate?

Gravity-powered roller conveyors don’t need power to operate because they rely on an incline and gravity to transfer them. Powered ones do, which creates extra expense but also offers huge business benefits.

Can roller conveyors be adjusted or expanded?

Scalability is one of the benefits of roller conveyors. Businesses can configure them in different lengths and widths to meet their needs. They can also customise them with guards, emergency stops and other features, both to suit the needs of the business and to make them safer.

What is a roller conveyor?

A roller conveyor is a material handling system that uses a series of rotating cylindrical rollers mounted in a frame to move goods along a set path.

Roller conveyors are commonly used in warehouses, distribution centres and manufacturing facilities to transport boxes, pallets and other unit loads efficiently, either by gravity or powered motion.

What are the different types of roller conveyors?

The main types of roller conveyors include gravity roller conveyors, motorised roller conveyors, chain-driven roller conveyors, heavy-duty roller conveyors, flexible roller conveyors and curve conveyors.

Each type is designed for specific applications, load weights and throughput requirements, ranging from manual handling to fully automated warehouse operations.

What is roller pitch?

Roller pitch is the distance between the centre points of adjacent rollers on a roller conveyor. Correct roller pitch ensures stable load support and smooth movement; as a general rule, at least three rollers should always be in contact with the load to prevent tipping or uneven travel.