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Horizon’s aluminium rollers offer a strong option at half the weight of steel
Edited by : AL CIRCLE
2 min read
Innovative aluminium conveyor rollers designed and built by Horizon Conveyor Equipment are offering light relief to site operators in their efforts to tackle health and safety risks and cut maintenance downtime.
Horizon has constructed its heavy duty aluminium rollers to offer robust strength but at nearly half the weight of their standard steel counterparts, making them an increasingly appealing alternative on a wide range of sites.
Development work on the rollers began in response to industry concerns about the health and safety risks of using standard heavy steel trough and return rollers, which often weigh up to 90kg. Excessive weight means that steel rollers generally need extra manpower to carry, install and maintain, and conveyors often require prolonged periods of downtime while that work is carried out.
Alan Bowler, the Managing Director of Horizon Conveyor Equipment, says the aluminium rollers retain the durability of their steel counterparts but boast the weight advantages, noise reduction and energy saving features that have made plastic rollers popular. Importantly, their high strength also makes them an ideal option for use on wide belts and in high impact locations.
Over the past three years the rollers have been extensively tested at sites including E-ON’s Kingsnorth Power Station and RWE’s Tilbury Power Station, both of which were looking for lighter weight and improved reliability.
Clive Burfoot, Materials Handling Engineer for E-ON at Kingsnorth Power Station, says the weight of the rollers has been a major benefit on site. “We have tested Horizon Conveyors’ aluminium rollers for more than three years and have been very pleased with their performance,” he said. “We decided to install them into a position of high tension, close to the pulley tail, to accelerate the tests and they have performed very well.”
Ron Pannell, Lead Maintenance Engineer at RWE Tilbury Power Station, agrees that the weight of the rollers is an advantage. “They’re at least half the weight of steel which helps when you’re carrying rollers up gantries and fitting them in awkward and difficult areas on the conveyors,” he said.
For Alan at Horizon, the introduction of the aluminium roller range marks the latest development in nearly 30 years of research and design innovation.
Horizon has constructed its heavy duty aluminium rollers to offer robust strength but at nearly half the weight of their standard steel counterparts, making them an increasingly appealing alternative on a wide range of sites.
Development work on the rollers began in response to industry concerns about the health and safety risks of using standard heavy steel trough and return rollers, which often weigh up to 90kg. Excessive weight means that steel rollers generally need extra manpower to carry, install and maintain, and conveyors often require prolonged periods of downtime while that work is carried out.
Alan Bowler, the Managing Director of Horizon Conveyor Equipment, says the aluminium rollers retain the durability of their steel counterparts but boast the weight advantages, noise reduction and energy saving features that have made plastic rollers popular. Importantly, their high strength also makes them an ideal option for use on wide belts and in high impact locations.
Over the past three years the rollers have been extensively tested at sites including E-ON’s Kingsnorth Power Station and RWE’s Tilbury Power Station, both of which were looking for lighter weight and improved reliability.
Clive Burfoot, Materials Handling Engineer for E-ON at Kingsnorth Power Station, says the weight of the rollers has been a major benefit on site. “We have tested Horizon Conveyors’ aluminium rollers for more than three years and have been very pleased with their performance,” he said. “We decided to install them into a position of high tension, close to the pulley tail, to accelerate the tests and they have performed very well.”
Ron Pannell, Lead Maintenance Engineer at RWE Tilbury Power Station, agrees that the weight of the rollers is an advantage. “They’re at least half the weight of steel which helps when you’re carrying rollers up gantries and fitting them in awkward and difficult areas on the conveyors,” he said.
For Alan at Horizon, the introduction of the aluminium roller range marks the latest development in nearly 30 years of research and design innovation.
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