Self-cleaning Roller It is an upgraded load-bearing component for belt conveyors, featuring a specially designed structure and carefully selected materials. While supporting the weight of the conveyor belt and its conveyed materials, it automatically removes dust, sludge, and chunky residual materials adhering to the belt surface—effectively addressing the root causes of issues like jamming, belt wear, and increased energy consumption, which traditionally occur due to material buildup on conventional idlers. At its core, this innovative design combines "cleaning" and "load-bearing" functions into one, making it ideal for challenging conveying environments characterized by high dust levels, extreme humidity, and materials with strong adhesive properties. Ultimately, it aims to reduce equipment maintenance costs, extend the service life of both the conveyor belt and idlers, and enhance the overall operational efficiency of the conveying system.

1. Structural Principle: The Core Logic Behind the Self-Cleaning Function

The self-cleaning roller's cleaning capability stems from its scientifically designed structure; the key components and operating principles are as follows:

Core cleaning structure: The mainstream design features a dual system of "rubber scraper + spiral guide," with elastic rubber discs (spaced 50–100 mm apart) or spiral-shaped cleaning strips mounted on the surface of the idler rollers. The rubber material has a Shore hardness of 60–80A, offering both flexibility and excellent wear resistance. Some high-end models are equipped with rotatable cleaning brushes that operate in sync with the idler rollers.

Automatic cleaning mechanism: As the idler rollers rotate with the conveyor belt, the rubber discs or spiral strips closely adhere to the belt surface, leveraging centrifugal force and friction to scrape off adhered materials. Meanwhile, the spiral structure guides the detached materials outward toward both sides of the conveyor belt, preventing them from accumulating near the roller shaft ends or bearing housings.

Auxiliary sealing design: Incorporating a "labyrinth + contact-type" dual-sealing system to prevent scraped dust from entering the bearing interior. Combined with material-blocking rings at both ends of the idler roller, this setup further prevents materials from infiltrating the core components, ensuring smooth rotational performance.

Load-bearing support structure: Retaining the "shaft + bearing + roller shell" basic architecture, the roller shell is made from high-strength tubing, while the shaft undergoes tempering treatment, ensuring that, in addition to its cleaning function, it can also meet the heavy-load transportation requirements.

2. Core Advantages: Upgraded Highlights Compared to Traditional Conveyor Rollers

Automatic cleaning reduces labor costs: No need to install additional cleaning equipment or assign dedicated personnel for cleanup—material removal is seamlessly handled during the roller’s operation, cutting manual cleaning tasks by more than 80% and preventing production disruptions caused by downtime for cleaning.

Protect the conveyor belt and extend its service life: Residual materials on the conveyor belt surface can lead to localized wear and misalignment. Self-cleaning idlers, however, efficiently remove adhering substances, ensuring even stress distribution across the belt and reducing wear rates by 30%–50%. As a result, the replacement cycle of the conveyor belt is extended by 1.5 to 2 times.

Reduce failure risks and enhance operational stability: Traditional idlers are prone to jamming and bearing damage due to material buildup, but self-cleaning idlers, with their material-guiding design and robust sealing protection, have seen a failure rate drop of more than 60%, ensuring continuous and reliable operation of the conveyor system.

Low resistance and energy savings: After cleaning, the conveyor belt makes more uniform contact with the idlers, keeping the coefficient of friction stable between 0.12 and 0.18 (in contrast, traditional idlers can see friction coefficients as high as 0.3 to 0.5 due to material buildup). This reduces the drive power consumption of the conveyor by 15% to 25%, resulting in significant energy-saving benefits over long-term operation.

Wear-resistant and impact-resistant, designed for harsh operating conditions: Cleaned components are made from high-strength materials such as wear-resistant rubber and polyurethane, while the roller shells undergo anti-corrosion treatment, enabling them to withstand challenging environments like high humidity, heavy dust, and material impacts. As a result, their service life is 2 to 3 times longer than that of conventional idlers.

Low-noise operation, enhancing the work environment: Elastic cleaning components maintain flexible contact with the conveyor belt, paired with high-precision bearings, resulting in operating noise below 65 dB (compared to approximately 75–85 dB for conventional rollers), effectively improving the workshop working environment.

3. Applicable Industries and Typical Application Scenarios

Thanks to its dual advantages of "cleanliness + durability," the self-cleaning roller is widely used in the following industries and applications:

Mining Industry: Underground and surface conveyor systems for coal mines, iron ore mines, copper mines, and more—particularly well-suited for transporting sticky materials such as raw coal, concentrate powder, and tailings, effectively addressing material buildup issues in the damp underground environment.

Building materials industry: Cement, sand and gravel, ceramic raw materials, and gypsum powder conveying systems. Designed specifically to handle highly adhesive materials like cement clinker and wet feed, as well as dusty substances, these systems prevent roller blockages that could cause production line shutdowns.

Power Industry: Coal transportation in thermal power plants, biomass fuel delivery for power generation, and removal of coal dust and clumps from conveyor belt surfaces—helping to reduce belt slippage and minimize energy waste.

Chemical Industry: For conveying corrosive materials such as fertilizers, soda ash, and PVC powder, self-cleaning idlers made from acid- and alkali-resistant materials are selected, balancing cleaning functionality with anti-corrosion requirements.

Port terminals: Bulk cargo handling conveyor belts (coal, ore, grain), designed to withstand outdoor, humid, and heavy-duty conditions, reducing equipment failures caused by material buildup.

Food processing industry: Transporting grains such as wheat, corn, and soybeans, as well as flour, to prevent material residue and mold growth, ensuring food hygiene and safety.

Waste Recycling Industry: Sorting and conveying lines for municipal and construction waste, designed to remove debris such as mixed soil and plastic bags from the surface of conveyor belts, ensuring efficient operation.

4. Selection Guide: Precisely Match Operating Conditions

When selecting equipment, it’s essential to consider material properties, device parameters, and environmental conditions, with a particular focus on the following 4 points:

Based on the material's viscosity: For lightly viscous materials (such as dry sand and gravel), rubber material is recommended; for medium-viscosity materials (like wet coal or mineral powder), polyurethane material is a suitable choice; and for highly viscous materials (such as mud or cement clinker) or corrosive substances, polymer composite material should be prioritized.

Select conveyor belt specifications based on the following parameters: The conveyor belt width (500–2400 mm) corresponds to the idler length (100–2000 mm), while the conveyor belt speed (≤3 m/s) should match the idler’s rated rotational speed (300–1500 r/min). This ensures that cleaning components do not cause excessive friction against the conveyor belt.

Select rollers based on the load they will carry: For light loads (≤5 kN), choose rollers with diameters ranging from φ89 to φ133 mm; for medium loads (5–15 kN), select rollers between φ133 and φ168 mm; and for heavy loads (>15 kN), opt for rollers in the range of φ168 to φ219 mm—ensuring that both the shaft and roller shell meet the required strength standards.

Selection according to environmental conditions: choose stainless steel shaft body +IP65 or more sealing for humid/outdoor environments; choose high temperature resistant rubber/polyurethane cleaning parts for high temperature environments (≤120℃); choose cold-resistant elastic materials for low temperature environments (≥-40℃).​

5. Installation and maintenance points

Installation guidelines: The roller axis must be perpendicular to the centerline of the conveyor belt. Installation spacing should be determined based on the belt width (carrier rollers: 1–1.5 m; return rollers: 2–3 m). Cleaning components must fit snugly against the conveyor belt surface, with a gap no larger than 0.5 mm, ensuring they are neither too tight (which could cause wear) nor too loose (which might compromise cleaning performance).

Daily Maintenance: Inspect and clean components weekly for wear (replace promptly if rubber or polyurethane thickness wears down by ≥3mm); monthly, remove any residual material near the material-stop rings at both ends of the idler rollers, check the flexibility of bearing rotation, and lubricate with grease (every 3 months). Annually, verify the integrity of seals—replace any damaged ones immediately—to prevent dust and moisture from entering.

Storage Requirements: Store in a dry, well-ventilated environment, avoiding direct sunlight or contact with oil on cleaning components. Do not stack higher than 3 layers to prevent deformation of the roller shell or damage to the cleaning components due to pressure.