The courier, express and parcel industry (CEP) is growing rapidly: according to a study by the German Parcel and Express Logistics Association, more than 3.5 billion shipments were transported in Germany for the first time in 2018 - more than twice as many as in 2000. Compared to the previous year, the industry recorded an increase in shipments and turnover of around five percent each. The main reason for this is the booming online trade, which is causing the number of orders to skyrocket. At the same time, however, customers are also expecting ever faster delivery times, often even on the same day. This places increasing demands on CEP service providers - and on the conveyor and sorting systems in their huge logistics centers.

A similar picture can be seen at international airports: they are becoming increasingly gigantic in size and have to cope with ever-increasing numbers of passengers. Naturally, every passenger wants their baggage to be transported to the right plane or check-in counter quickly and without errors. This also presents the conveyor and sorting technology with a difficult task that can only be fulfilled with absolutely high-tech systems.

Specialized down to the last detail
For this reason, modern conveyor and sorting systems are highly specialized and adapted to the respective application down to the smallest detail. This starts with the selection of the right guide rollers: These small components ensure the desired movement in all conveyor systems - whether in logistics centers, at airports, in the manufacturing industry or in mining. Experts distinguish between two types: one is the guide wheels, which are attached to components or parts to guide them on the track. The contacts between the wheel and the guide are usually short, but frequent. The other type are guide wheels that permanently absorb a specific, uniform load - for example in belt conveyor systems for luggage or parcels.

"The demands placed on castors are as varied as their areas of application," explains Maximilian Hoffmann, Product Manager at wheel and castor specialist Blickle. "Not only are they subjected to very different loads depending on the application, but the external influences can also vary greatly. After all, the conditions in a baggage sorting system at an airport are completely different to those in a bulk material conveyor system in an open-cast mine, for example." Castors that are used outdoors must be able to withstand fluctuating temperatures and adverse weather conditions, among other things. If they come into contact with water, chemicals or abrasive materials, they must be resistant to these. At high speeds, on the other hand, dynamic load capacity is required, and in sensitive sectors such as the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, electrical conductivity is required. Low rolling resistance improves the energy efficiency of systems and helps to comply with environmental regulations.

Blickle equipped a Norwegian company that has developed an automated storage and retrieval system for plastic boxes with a customer-specific solution. © AutoStore

For this reason, Blickle has developed a portfolio of guide rollers that are tailored to the respective application. They are available in various sizes, materials and load capacities. For high speeds and loads, high-quality solutions with a steel or polyamide wheel body are recommended - such as the FTH and FSTH series. The castors are fitted with treads made from the versatile polyurethane elastomer Blickle Extrathane. They are characterized by quiet running and low rolling resistance and are also floor-friendly, non-marking and highly abrasion-resistant.

The FPOB series has a tread made of the Blickle Besthane polyurethane elastomer, which is particularly resistant to dynamic loads and has a very low rolling resistance. It is designed for applications with adverse environmental conditions and is, among other things, hydrolysis-resistant. This means that, unlike other materials, regular contact with moisture does not lead to faster wear. In contrast to wheel bodies made of steel or aluminum, the polyamide wheel body is corrosion-resistant. This makes this guide roller particularly suitable for outdoor use.

If, on the other hand, the focus is on cost-effectiveness when using guide rollers, Blickle offers various cost-optimized solutions such as the FPO series. It impresses with its high load-bearing capacity, chemical resistance and versatility. The running surface is made of break-resistant and smooth-running polyamide. With the FPTH series, Blickle has wheels and castors with a thermoplastic polyurethane tread in its range. These are particularly quiet-running and are also hydrolysis-resistant, making them ideal for outdoor use.

The FSVU series with a Vulkollan tread is a brand new addition to Blickle's portfolio. The advantages of this material include low rolling resistance, high dynamic load capacity and quiet running. The wheels and castors are also non-marking and floor-friendly, suitable for high speeds and load capacities as well as for thresholds. If the standard range is not sufficient, Blickle also specializes in the development and production of special solutions.

Blickle offers a portfolio of guide rollers that are perfectly tailored to the application. © Blickle

Castors for baggage sorting system
A manufacturer of high-speed baggage sorting technology and control systems for airports needed wheels for one of its systems that would enable quiet running at a speed of around eleven kilometers per hour and a load of up to 60 kilograms per transport carriage. The high utilization of up to 8,000 operating hours per year as well as changing external influences such as humidity and temperature fluctuations posed a challenge.

Blickle developed special wheels with aluminum wheel bodies and a Blickle Besthane tread for this application, which were able to impress in extensive tests under different conditions. Compared to the previous solution, the starting and rolling resistance is also significantly lower, meaning that the conveyor systems can operate extremely energy-efficiently.

In another case, a specialist in automation technology needed guide rollers in a slide system for small containers used in the storage of pharmacy supplies. The customer had previously installed products from a competitor. However, there were considerable quality problems, as the running surface kept coming off - and this resulted in high costs. Blickle supplied the manufacturer with an identical type of castor, but it was of better quality and also performed well in all tests.

Blickle equipped a Norwegian company that has developed an automated storage and retrieval system for plastic boxes with a customer-specific solution. The boxes are picked using robots that run on a rail system. Each robot has eight wheels - four in the longitudinal and four in the transverse direction - which are set down or lifted. High precision of the wheel suspension and geometry is required for smooth operation. Blickle's guide rollers with aluminum wheel bodies and Extrathane tread meet these requirements and also protect against electrical discharges thanks to their antistatic design. This ensures reliable operation of the storage system. as