Pallet Handling Conveyor Guide, Part 2: how to deal with pallets conveyed parallel to the rollers
When conveying pallets on roller conveyors, you must take care to insure smooth movement on the rollers.
As discussed in Part I of this series, pallet runners should be conveyed perpendicular to the rollers. Pallet Orientation diagram (Pop-Up Information).
This is due reduced contact surface – it’s never desirable to place pallet runners parallel to the rollers. Admittedly, runners parallel is sometimes the only option available to you. If this is the case, some guidelines must be followed to insure the pallet will convey as smoothly as possible.
What if my runners are parallel, and I can't avoid it?
If runners-parallel is your only option, then the rollers should be set on very close centers to minimize potential conveying issues such as bouncing or rocking of pallet. When you convey a pallet with parallel runners, there should be a minimum of two rollers under each runner.
When conveying pallets with the runners parallel, a model 25-CREZD conveyor can be utilized quite successfully, as long as you observe the “two rollers per runner” rule. This conveyor can be specified with rollers on close centers. Both 3” and 5” roller centers are available.
