Design and Development of Durable Conveyor Rollers for Outdoor Use

Background For industries utilizing conveyor systems, roller failure can result in reduced efficiency or even unplanned downtime. A typical conveyor roller consists of an outer tube, end caps at both ends, bearings housed within the end caps, and a throughgoing axle. In collaboration with NKT, this thesis investigates how outdoor conveyor rollers can be improved with respect to corrosion resistance, simplified maintenance, reduced weight, and sufficient structural performance, while also ensuring economic feasibility, manufacturability, and environmental sustainability. The project explores how rollers can be designed to perform reliably in outdoor environments under varying loads and how such designs can be optimized for large-scale manufacturing. Methods The work applied a Design Thinking approach to identify user needs and underlying challenges, generate new ideas, and explore these in a structured, iterative manner. Concepts were evaluated and refined through sketches, manual calculations, and primarily through Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modeling and numerical simulations. Results Several design alternatives were evaluated to improve the performance and reduce the weight of conveyor rollers. The most promising concepts demonstrated potential for extended service life, improved corrosion resistance, and weight reduction without compromising structural integrity. Some design ideas were discarded due to performance limitations. Conclusions The study concludes that it is feasible to develop a lighter and more cost-effective roller design with a potentially longer service life. This can be achieved by retaining the original tube while redesigning internal components such as the axle, bearings, and end caps to improve corrosion resistance and manufacturing efficiency.