35 / 44
Mechanical Technology — July 2015
33
⎪
Structural engineering materials, metals and non-metals
⎪
New generation steel roller introduced
Leading South Africa-based manufacturer and distributor of conveyor rollers,
Megaroller has introduced a new generation steel roller to its hard-working
rollers’ range for the mining and materials handling industries.
M
egaroller’s new, patent-pending
steel rollers are designed to ensure
accurate bearing alignment to
deliver easier rolling, enhanced efficiency
and less noise pollution. Rolling easily, with
less friction, the new steel roller is a long-
lasting, environmentally friendly alternative
to conventional steel rollers.
New generation steel Megaroller rollers
have bearing housings that are mechani-
cally fixed instead of welded. This ensures
superior bearing alignment to deliver a
more efficient, quieter and longer lasting
roller.
Megaroller’s steel conveyor roller fea-
tures cushioned bearing carriers made
from high quality nylon to provide vibration
and shock protection at the most crucial
part of the roller. This additional barrier,
unique to Megaroller rollers, enhances
impact resistance and guards the bearing
against vibration, one of the main causes
of roller failure. This is the first time that
these benefits have been made available in
a steel roller for use in mines underground.
“Our new Megaroller is a revolutionary
design concept for steel rollers. These
rollers answer to the demand for a cost
effective, more energy efficient and long-
lasting steel roller that creates less noise
pollution,” says Adrian Evans, business
development manager at Megaroller.
Megaroller, which was the first manu-
facturer to produce high-density polyeth-
ylene (HDPE) conveyor rollers in the early
1980s, has applied for a patent on the me-
chanically fixed steel housing arrangement.
“This is what differentiates our steel
roller from conventional steel rollers avail-
able on the market. It is the welding-on of
the bearing housings that causes them to
warp, resulting in bearing misalignment
and premature bearing failure.
“Our steel rollers have been tested at
several customers’ sites and feedback has
been excellent. The rollers have proved to
outlast other conventional steel rollers and
our customers are impressed with their
quiet operation,” adds Evans.
The rollers are produced in the com-
pany’s ISO:9001-certified plant in Brits
in the North West Province. This offers
customers the assurance that the steel roll-
ers adhere to the same high standards and
quality principles for which the company
has become renowned.
As with the Megaroller HDPE and hy-
brid rollers, the bearings in the Megarollar
steel roller are lubricated at the factory
and placed in a protective housing that
is completely sealed. This eliminates the
need to lubricate at user level, prevents
the risk of over or under-lubrication, and
mitigates the risk of bearing failure due
to lack of lubrication. Customers are also
offered the option to have their rollers
manufactured using the bearing brand of
their choice.
“The optimised efficiency and longer
lifespan of the Megaroller steel roller, when
compared to traditional steel rollers, mean
that companies benefit from lower main-
tenance costs and improved total costs of
ownership.” says Sarel Koekemoer, general
manager at Megaroller
“At a time when cost curtailment is a
business priority, these benefits will be
increasingly valued by mining and materi-
als handling companies,” he concludes.
q