Some examples of the different types of industrial machinery that use industrial rollers include various types of conveying systems, web converters, printing presses, stamping machines, feeders, bending machines and more. Because of the wide variety of machines that use them, industrial rollers can be used for a wide range of applications including coating, drying, annealing, calendering, embossing, metalworking, heat treating, packaging and bulk material handling. Industrial rollers are capable of being made from a wide range of elastic materials and can be made from a variety of synthetic rubbers such as neoprene, nitrile, EPDM and polyurethane. When formed with a metal core, industrial rollers typically have core materials of aluminum, steel and stainless steel.

Various types of industrial rollers include drive rollers, guide rollers and conveyor rollers, of which conveyor rollers are probably the most common. Industrial rollers can be manufactured by a molding or casting process, and in some cases, even by an extrusion process. However, solid rubber industrial rollers are most commonly made by injection and compression molding processes.

In injection molding, the rubber is heated and then injected into the cavity of a closed split mold or die, which is then cooled to form the roller. In compression molding, the rubber is heated and then placed in a heated mold under extreme pressure to achieve the shape of the roll. In extrusion, industrial rolls are formed by heating the rubber and then squeezing the molten rubber through a die with a pin in the center that is used to form the hollow inside the roll.

For industrial rolls having a metal core, the core is typically formed by a metal working process such as metal stamping. Metal stamping is similar to the extrusion process, using the same type of die with pins to form the metal core from the inserted metal material. The top of the die is attached to the press ram, while the bottom is attached to the press. A punch, also called a plunger, then applies pressure to force the metal to be squeezed through the die, thus forming the roll. A rubber-to-metal bonding process is then used to form a rubber sheath over the metal core. In this process, the rubber adheres to the metal substrate through the use of an adhesive.

Design and manufacture of industrial rolls for OEMs

Digital printing equipment

Packaging equipment manufacturers

Photographic printing equipment

Glass equipment manufacturers

Mining industry

Process Equipment Manufacturers

Converting Equipment Manufacturers

Aerospace

Transportation