Roller covering in
rubber and polyurethane

A steel or aluminum roller is strong and accurate, but its surface does not always behave the way you need: too hard, too slippery, too aggressive or a poor match for certain conditions. We keep the metal core and adapt the outside surface to the real duty. A cover can:

• increase friction and grip;
• protect the product being conveyed or processed;
• absorb vibration and impact;
• improve the drive of a web, a film, a sheet or a material;
• reduce roller wear;
• resist certain chemicals, oils, solvents or wet environments;
• control the pressure between two rollers;
• improve the finish quality of the final product.

That is what turns a plain roller into a

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What to look at:

• the product in contact with the roller;
• the rotating speed and the applied load;
• the operating temperature;
• the presence of water, oil, solvents or chemicals;
• the level of abrasion;
• the durometer and surface finish you are after;
• the mechanical tolerances and the production environment.

For the detail compound by compound: see rubber rollers or compare polyester and polyether polyurethane further down this page.

A worn roller can keep turning while no longer doing its job — that is often where production losses start. Common signs: loss of grip, web slippage, abnormal vibration, uneven wear, cracking or hardening of the cover, marks on the product, diameter out of tolerance, delamination.

See the full troubleshooting guide →

Material choice matters, but it is not the only factor. Roller preparation, grit blasting, the bonding system, the formulation, vulcanization or casting, final machining and quality control all have a direct impact on performance. A cover has to be designed as a whole:

Neglect a single element and the roller can wear out early, debond, vibrate or fall short of the expected performance. That is why it pays to work with a team that understands the materials, the mechanics of the roller and the industrial application.