International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 7, July-2014

ISSN 2229-5518

1254

Design and Optimization of Roller Conveyor

System
D.K. Nannaware [1], R.R. Kharde [2]
PG student, Pravara Rural Engineering College,Loni, India. [1]
Professor, Pravara Rural Engineering College,Loni, India. [2]

Abstract: In this paper we studied existing conveyor system and optimized critical parts of roller conveyor system like Roller, C-channels
for chassis and support, to minimize the overall weight of assembly and material & cost saving.
Paper contains geometrical modeling and finite element modeling of existing design and optimized design. Geometrical modeling is done
using Catia V5R19 and finite modeling was done with the help of Ansys .Results shows safe design of optimized design. Optimization
gives optimum design for same loading condition with huge amount of weight reduction. Using optimized procedure and using practical
available structure 39.26% weight reduction is achieved
Key Words: Optimized design, Weight reduction, cost reduction, optimization technique and material handling systems.

1.0 Introduction
1.1 Conveyors
A conveyor system is a common piece of mechanical
handling equipment that moves materials from one
location to another. Conveyors are especially useful in
applications involving the transportation of heavy or bulky
materials. Conveyor systems allow quick and efficient
transportation for a wide variety of materials, which make
them very popular in the material handling and packaging
industries. Many kinds of conveying systems are available,
and are used according to the various needs of different
industries. There are chain conveyors (floor and overhead)
as well. Chain conveyors consist of enclosed tracks, IBeam, towline, power & free, and hand pushed trolleys.
Conveyor systems are used widespread across a range of
industries due to the numerous benefits they provide.
Conveyors are able to safely transport materials from one
level to another, which when done by human labor would
be strenuous and expensive.

There are a variety of options available for running

conveying systems, including the hydraulic, mechanical
and fully automated systems, which are equipped to fit
individual needs.
Conveyor systems are commonly used in many
industries, including the automotive, agricultural,
computer, electronic, food processing, aerospace,
pharmaceutical, chemical, bottling and canning, print
finishing and packaging. Although a wide variety of
materials can be conveyed, some of the most common
include food items such as beans and nuts, bottles and
cans, automotive components, scrap metal, pills and
powders, wood and furniture and grain and animal feed.
Many factors are important in the accurate selection of a
conveyor system. It is important to know how the
conveyor system will be used beforehand. Some individual
areas that are helpful to consider are the required conveyor
operations, such as transportation, accumulation and
sorting, the material sizes, weights and shapes and where
the loading and pickup points need to be.

IJSER

Conveyors can be installed almost anywhere, and

are much safer than using a forklift or other
machine to move materials.
Also can move loads of all shapes, sizes and
weights. Also, many have advanced safety features
that help in preventing accidents.

Fig. 1.1 Conveyor Systems

In this paper the latest development of belt conveyor is

done. It concentrates on energy efficiency, route
optimization, distributed power, analysis and simulation
(1). It is observed that the weight of the conveyor part
increased due to the critical part of the system (2).The
amount of processing that the device increase as the circuit
design becomes more complex (3). ADAMS CAD system
is used as simulation technique (4). Determination of the
number of conveyors into the objective. To develops two
staged method to optimized and maximum profit (5).
Various types of cost estimation techniques are given for
optimization of steel frames (6). The standard design
where each roller is connected to line shaft, where the first
roller in conveyor connected to line shaft and subsequent
rollers are connected by sequential belts are studied(7).to
identify the conveyor dynamic relationship, based on this
formulate dynamic network model for the performance
evaluation (8). In this paper deal with special kind of flow
shop processing which quit different from the usual flow
shop (9).
1.2 Types of Conveyor Systems,

IJSER 2014
http://www.ijser.org

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 7, July-2014

ISSN 2229-5518

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Gravity Conveyor systems

Powered Belt Conveyor systems
Pneumatic conveyor systems
Vibrating conveyor systems
Flexible conveyor systems
-Vertical conveyor systems and spiral conveyors
Live Roller Conveyor systems

2.0 Scope of Present Study

1255

for Chassis
Rollers
Bearing
C-Channels
for Stand
Shaft

2
3
4
5

Mild Steel
Std.
ISMC 75

15
30
4

Mild Steel

15

Table 3.2 Total Weight of Existing Conveyor Assembly

1. Check design of existing conveyor system.

2. ANSYS APDL codes or Catia V5R19 for
drawing of existing system.
3. ANSYS is used for linear static, modal,
transient and optimization analysis.
4. Optimization of conveyor assembly for weight
reduction.
5. Comparison between existing and optimized
design.
6. By using the STEEL TABLE and
UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE find
out the maximum loading and maximum
bending stress of the channel.

sr.
No.
1
2

Name of Component

3
4
5

Weight (Kg)

C- Channel for Chassis

Rollers

39.066
111.1181

Shafts
Bearing
C- Channel for Supports
Total Weight of assembly

20.7421
2.994
19.70
193.6121

4.0 Geometric Modeling

Geometrical modeling done with the help of
CATIA V5R17.

IJSER

Fig. 4.1 Geometrical modeling using Catia

Fig. 2.1 Gravity Roller Conveyor Assembly

3.0 Design of the Existing Assembly of Conveyor

System.
The aim of this project is to redesign existing
gravity roller conveyor system by designing the critical
parts (Roller, Shaft, Bearing & Frame), to minimize the
overall weight of the assembly and to save considerable
amount of material.
Gravity roller Conveyor has to convey 3500 N
load, 30 inch above ground and inclined at 4 degree. Fig.
2.1 shows roller conveyor assembly.
Components of conveyor are as follows,
Table no 3.1 List of materials
Sr.
No.
1

Component

Material

Qty.

C-Channels

ISMC 100

Fig. 4.2 Finite element mesh of the model

5. Static Structural Analysis

A static analysis calculates the effect of steady
loading condition on a structure, while ignoring inertia and
damping effects, such as those caused by time varying
loads.
A static analysis can, however, include steady
inertia load (such as gravity and rotational).
Design and analysis of roller conveyor for weight
optimization & material saving and time varying load that
can be approximated as static equivalent loads (such as
static equivalent wind and seismic loads commonly
defined in many building codes). Required properties of

IJSER 2014
http://www.ijser.org

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 7, July-2014

ISSN 2229-5518

1256

material are selected. Static analysis determines the

displacements, stresses, strains, and forces in structures or
components caused by lodes that do not induce significant
inertia and damping effects. Steady loading and response
conditions are like that is, the loads and the structures

response are assumed to vary slowly with respect to

time.
Critical load conditionLoad is acting on any four rollers hence by
considering 3500 N load acting on four rollers
maximum deflection, maximum stress values are
checked for existing design.
5.1 Results for static analysis.

Fig. 5.3 Critical Mode Shape

-Weight of the model is 193 kg

- Maximum deflection plot shown in fig. 5.1
- Maximum stress plot shown in fig. 5.2
Load of 3500 N is applied on 4 rollers
which located at the centre of the conveyor system.
We get the maximum deflection and maximum stress.

Result from Modal analysis From the results it is clear that mode shape in fig
will have maximum motion in vertical
direction. So natural frequency should be greater
than the excitation frequency.
Natural frequency is 59.679 Hz.

6.0 Need of Optimization

As factor of safety of C-Channels and Rollers is
very high there is scope of weight reduction in this
component.

6.1 Optimized design.

IJSER

Optimized design on the basis of following criteria.

6.2 Selection of Critical Parameter
Flange Width
Flange thickness
Web height
Web thickness
Roller Outer diameter
Roller thickness

Fig. 5.1 Deflection plot

Selecting available components which are similar

to optimized design.
Select ISJC 100 and ISJC 75 C-channels for
chassis and supports respectively
Roller Outer diameter is 60 mm and roller
thickness 5 mm

6.1 Total Weight of Conveyor Assembly (Optimized

Design)5.2

Fig. 5.2 Stress Plot

Modal analysis

Sr. No

Name of Component

Weight
(Kg)

Modal analysis is carried out to find natural

frequency and mode shapes.
As the loading will be in vertical direction
(gravity) the mode shape which will show
movement in vertical direction is important.

C- Channel for Chassis

25.62

Rollers

50.92

Shafts

20.7421

Bearing

2.994

There are different types of critical mode shapes

occur in the conveyor system. We selected the
transverse mode shape which require for the
analysis purpose.

C- Channel for Supports

17.32

Total Weight

117.5961

6.2 Analysis of Optimized Design:

Static structural analysis is done with the help of
ANSYS workbench.

IJSER 2014
http://www.ijser.org

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 7, July-2014

ISSN 2229-5518

1257

Fig 6.4 Transient Structural

Fig 6.1 Linear Static Analysis of Optimized design:

Deflection plot

7.0 Results and discussion

Static structural analysis is done with the help of
ANSYS workbench.

Sr.
No

Name of
Component

Weight
(Kg)
Optimized
Design

Weight
(Kg)
Existing
Design

C-Channels
for Chassis

25.62

36.066

Rollers

50.92

111.1181

Shafts

20.7421

20.7421

Bearings

2.994

2.994

C-channels
for Supports

17.32

19.70

Total
Weight of
Conveyor

117.5961

193.6121

IJSER

Fig 6.2 Stress Plot Optimized design

7.1 Observation from Results- Effect of Optimized

Design Compared with existing design-

Model analysis is done with the help of ANSYS

workbench.

1) From above chart we can find the great change in

weight of optimized design and existing design. (60 Kg.
weight reduction)
2) Here we can observe changes in 3 main components,
i.e. C-channels for Chassis, C- Channels for Supports and
Rollers due to optimization.
Design

Fig. 6.3 Critical Mode Shape of Optimized design

Transient structural analysis is done with the help of

ANSYS workbench.

Max. Def
(mm)

Natural
Freq. (Hz)

Max. Stress
(N/mm2)

Existing

0.3397

59.67

28.047

Optimized

0.4367

65.87

41.47

7.2 Weight reduction due to Optimization

Design

Weight
(Kg)

% Material
required
compared
To Existing
design

% Material
save
compared
To Existing
design

Existing

193.6121

100

--

Optimized

117.5961

60.73

39.26

8 Conclusions
IJSER 2014
http://www.ijser.org

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 5, Issue 7, July-2014

ISSN 2229-5518

Existing design calculation shows the factor of

safety is very greater than requirement and there is
a scope for weight reduction.
Critical parameter which reduces the weight of Cchannels, roller outer diameter and roller
thickness.
Though value of deflection, stress is more in case
of Optimized design, but it is allowable.
Transient analysis also gives the permissible stress
limit i.e. 50.40 Mpa.
39.26% of weight reduction is achieved due to
Optimized design.
60.73 Kg. weight reduction achieved by optimized
design than existing design.

precise positioning of ultra cold atoms Eur. Phys. J.

D 35, 125133 (2005).

9 Future Scopes
1) Fatigue analysis for life calculation.
Fatigue analysis can be done by obtaining
the SN curve. ANSYS predicts the number of
cycles of different regions.
2) Buckling analysis.
Buckling analysis of support channels can
be done to find maximum load.
3) Non-linear analysis.
Material non-linearity can be considered
to find more accurate results.
4) Selection of appropriate material.
By selecting inferior quality of material
further weight reduction of conveyor is possible.
5) Thermal Analysis can be considered for further
study.

References

IJSER

[1]. M. A. Alspaugh, Latest Developments in Belt

Conveyor Technology MINExpo 2004, Las Vegas,
NV, USA. September 27, 2004
[2]. S.H. Masood B. Abbas E. Shayan A. Kara An
investigation into design and manufacturing of
mechanical conveyors Systems for food processing,
Springer-Verlag London Limited 2004
[3]. Dima Nazzal , Ahmed El-Nashar Survey Of Research
In Modeling Conveyor-Based Automated Material
Handling Systems In wafer fabs Proceedings of the
2007 Winter Simulation Conference.
[4]. Chun-Hsiung Lan, The design of a multi-conveyor
system for profit maximization International Journal
Adv Manuf Technol (2003) 22: 510521.
[5]. John Usher, John R, G. Don Taylor Availability
modeling of powered roller conveyors.
[6]. Espelage W, Wanke E.Movement minimization for
unit distances in conveyor flow shop processing,
[7]. C.Sekimoto Development of Concept Design CAD
System, Energy and Mechanical Research
Laboratories, Research and Development Center,
Toshiba Corporation.
[8]. Ying WANG, Chen ZHOU A Model and an
analytical method for conveyor system in distribution
centers, J Syst Sci Syst Eng (Dec 2010) 19(4): 408429.
[9]. R. Long, T. Rom, W. Hansel, T.W. Hansch, J.
Reichel Long distance magnetic conveyor for
IJSER 2014
http://www.ijser.org

1258