Smiley Monroe King Rollers worth their salt

New-generation polymer conveyor rollers replace steel rollers at Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Co.

NEW-generation King Roller polymer conveyor rollers from Smiley Monroe are proving successful as replacements for steel rollers at Irish Salt Mining & Exploration Co. (ISME Co.), in Kilroot, Northern Ireland.

ISME Co. have been mining de-icing rock salt at their Kilroot mine, near Carrickfergus, since 1965, producing around 500,000 tonnes per annum. Export is handled via the company’s deep-water berth on the north shore of Belfast Lough, which features a loading conveyor running directly from storage facilities at the mine site.

Featuring a strengthened, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) frame, an important advantage of the King Roller is its special design featuring a triple labyrinth seal which protects the bearings from moisture and dust damage.

A low-friction surface is another key advantage of the King Roller, as this greatly reduces carryback material build-up on the roller face – the main cause of belt tracking problems, material spillage, premature wear and failure of steel rollers.

Mine manager Derek Moore explained how Smiley Monroe’s King Rollers have been running on the site’s exporting jetty belt for almost two years, without any visible signs of wear.

‘I’ve been particularly impressed with the sealing arrangement and their lighter weight, which makes handling easier,’ he said. ‘But the big test for us was when we power-washed the rollers and stored them for 5–6 weeks, which can be very hard on rollers. We refitted the King Rollers with no problems or moisture ingress.’   

According to Smiley Monroe, the customer has now successfully replaced a large number of steel drop-in type end supported sets and return rollers on all their surface conveyors.

‘We recommended King Rollers because they are ideal for use in humid and corrosive environments,’ said Keith Stevenson, Northern Ireland sales engineer with Smiley Monroe. ‘Unlike steel rollers, King Rollers will not rust and cause belt damage, so they don’t just deliver longer service life, but also satisfy a growing demand for energy-saving products that keep running costs down.

‘In today’s world of ever-rising energy costs, their lightweight yet robust design can help reduce belt tensions and power requirements by up to 20%.’