PROK launches new PROKOMPOSITE roller
PROK brings to market the “most advanced conveyor roller ever to exist”.
The PROKOMPOSITE roller is designed and manufactured by PROK Conveyor Components Australia.
PROK has had a long history in high performance products and the PROKOMPOSITE is no different.
Many years of research and development now comes to market to deliver to its customers what they have been searching for: a lightweight, belt-friendly non-metallic roller that lasts.
The PROKOMPOSITE range satisfies the need for a lightweight, non-metallic roller without the compromises associated with plastic rollers seen in the market previously.
PROKOMPOSITE is a true composite designed and developed specifically for iron ore and heavy-duty applications.
It is safer, quieter and more economical, generating 50 per cent less noise than traditional steel rollers.
It is also up to 55 per cent lighter than traditional steel rollers, and costs up to 20 per cent less to own due to easier maintenance and lower energy demands.
The PROKOMPOSITE roller shell and bearing housing uses technology otherwise not seen in conveyor idlers; this is unlike many other products on the market that have adapted old technology, mostly from water pipe and gas applications.
Additionally, low tolerance injection moulded bearing housings are now a thing of the past.
PROKOMPOSITE is not only lighter than steel, it is also the lightest non-metallic roller on the market for heavy duty applications.
Despite its light weight, the PROKOMPOSITE roller delivers durability in demanding heavy duty conveying applications.
In addition, the PROKOMPOSITE features a new seal package that adds a fixed end cover for high pressure water and rock-jam protection and greatly improved drag performance, while still featuring the lip seal and long path labyrinth from our current seal design.
Suitable for high speeds and large tonnages, the rollers are available in 152mm and 178mm diameters, with bearing sizes from 6306 up to 6310.
The advantages of the PROKOMPOSITE stem from PROK’s use of specifically designed and engineered materials, which provide the strength and durability of traditional steel rollers while delivering the weight benefits of composite materials.
The PROKOMPOSITE project had some lofty goals – to develop a lightweight, low noise, and low drag roller with a structure that eliminated the risk of belt damage in the event of a bearing failure.
This was all while having a shell structure that was rigid enough to ensure bearing life was maximised, and a shell that was a no-compromise alternative to steel shells when it came to durability and service life.
Working with a leading European university in the composites field, PROK developed composite structures for the tube and end cap assembly, including the seal package.
This lead to the production of prototype material samples which allowed the theoretical design work to be validated with test rig trials of shell structures, as well as traditional laboratory testing to verify strength, fatigue and stiffness performance of the materials.
With the material design completed, the PROK team then moved to develop manufacturing processes that achieve the dimensional tolerances required for conveyor rollers.
In PROK’s experience no supplier, except for its partners, can provide the tube and end-cap materials required for a roller like the PROKOMPOSITE.
In parallel, PROK ran extensive drag and fatigue testing at its Bayswater R&D laboratory, supplemented with third-party noise and seal performance testing.
Satisfied with the quality of materials and performance of the rollers in the laboratory environment, in early 2018 the team embarked on its final step before release – the commencement of field trials on live conveyors.
To date the PROKOMPOSITE Rollers have not had a single failure in the field.
With a long history as a supplier of quality conveyor components, PROK was motivated during this program to not move to the field trials until it was completely satisfied it had a product that met primary criteria.
This included being as strong and durable as its steel rollers, while still providing the weight, noise, and belt protection features of a non-metallic roller.
PROK is a part of NEPEAN Conveyors, a wholly Australian owned company. NEPEAN Conveyors has specialised in the design, in-house manufacture, installation and service of overland, underground and surface belt conveyor products, systems and bulk materials handling projects for more than 30 years.