Flow Rail Selection Guide
Flow Rails
At Ashland Conveyor our flow rails are constructed of standard skatewheels, ball transfers, or flanged rollers attached to various angle or channel shapes. They are well suited for storage flow racks, first in first out systems, and pallet flow systems (100 lb wheels recommended). Flow rails are available in 5' and 10' sections.
Flow Rail Model Summary
We have many combinations of frames and wheels/ball transfers that are described by their short description. Refer to the model below to see how we abbreviate our flow rails.
Flow Rail Wheel Options
Skatewheel flow rails are constructed of 1-15/16" diameter wheels with 1/4" ball bearings set in hardened raceway, prelubricated, and zinc plated steel. The wheel capacities are 65 lbs, and 100 lbs and should be chosen based on the needs of your application. The wheels also have a range of material options. You can choose from galvanized steel, black nylon, or polyurethane coated wheels.
Flow Rail Wheel Frame Options
We have a wide variety of frame styles that are determined by the model number; FR1, FR2, FR3, FR4, and FR6. The choice between these models will change the way the frames and wheels are arranged in the flow rail. Take a look at the options below to see what we can provide:
Flow Rail Ball Transfer Style
Ball transfer flow rails allow an item to be moved both in-line and across the flow rail. Applications for ball transfer flow rails include equipment tool change, packaging stations, assembly stations, etc. These rails are designed to be continuously supported.
Flow Rail Ball Transfer Options
Ashland Conveyor provides (5) different ball transfer unit options to choose from. We have a recessed style that provides a low profile with a 5/8" diameter carbon steel ball and 20 lbs. capacity. We have a flanged style with a 1" diameter carbon steel ball and 75 lbs. capacity. And we have a stud style with a 1" diameter carbon steel ball with 75 lbs. capacity. The choice of ball transfer unit will determine which frame is used. All frames are galvanized steel. Take a look at the chart below to see the different models:
Flow Rail Roller Style
Roller Flow Rails are constructed of plastic or steel rollers attached to a channel. They are well suited for storage flow racks. The "flanged" style keeps packages on the flow rails using right hand and left hand versions. If you are using these to create a flow rack, it is important to get both left and right hand versions as the wheels are placed differently in each version so that a lane can be formed.
