What Are Slave Rollers And Why Are They Beneficial For Accumulation?

Roller conveyors comprise a series of conveyor rollers that are spaced equally apart from each other. However, not all conveyor rollers are created equal. In certain types of roller conveyors, one can have two different types of rollers, namely the powered roller and the slave roller. In this blog, Norpak Handling, a leading manufacturer of conveyor rollers in Canada, examines their definition and why this arrangement is highly suitable for accumulation applications.

What Is A Powered Roller?

In a conveyor system, the entire length of the conveyor can be divided into zones. Each zone constitutes a single powered roller along with a few slave rollers. In this context, a powered roller is directly connected to the motor or the controller. Therefore, it is controlled by the aforementioned motor or controller depending on the application.

What Is A Slave Roller?

A slave conveyor roller is not directly connected to the motor or source of power for the conveyor. They operate similarly to the powered conveyor and match its speed and movement. 

Benefits Of The Power/Slave Arrangement

Here are the two main benefits of using powered and slave conveyor rollers in an accumulation system:

- When the sensor detects an object in the zone, it sends the signal to the controller which sends a command to the powered conveyor to stop its motion, followed suit by the respective slave rollers in the zone. This results in easy accumulation as the controller only has to directly manipulate one roller per zone. 

- This also translates to a more efficient use of energy as there are more non-powered rollers. However, the system still works effectively, making it highly energy-efficient, safe and reliable.

You can count on us at Norpak Handling to offer you the best support for your conveyor systems. A big name in manufacturing conveyor rollers in Canada, we offer a wide range of conveyors such as roller conveyors, belt conveyors, chain conveyors, and more, you can rest assured that our team is committed to providing you with complete solutions irrespective of the requirements. Contact us today for more in-depth information.