The Lineshaft Conveyor is the most versatile and economical choice in material handling, suitable for light, medium, and heavy-duty applications. Unlike conventional conveyor systems, the Lineshaft requires fewer drives for complex configurations, making it cost-effective and efficient. One motor can power multiple ancillary modules through a system of couplings and universal joints, offering seamless adaptability for changing operational needs. Finished with a durable powder coating, this conveyor ensures longevity and consistent performance in demanding environments.
A lineshaft conveyor works from a single motor turning a rotating shaft that runs the length of the frame. Polyurethane bands drop from that shaft to each roller, so every roller is driven without a motor of its own. Couplings and universal joints carry the drive on into further modules, which means one motor can run a long and reasonably complex layout. That is the whole economic argument: fewer drives to buy, fewer to wire, fewer to power and fewer to maintain.
People assume the saving is the motor itself. It is not, or not mainly. It is everything attached to a motor: the starter, the cabling, the containment, the commissioning time and the annual maintenance point. Strip a layout from a dozen drives down to two or three and you remove all of that a dozen times over. On long runs with a lot of ancillary modules, this is why lineshaft still wins on price against more modern alternatives.
Lineshaft accumulates gently. The bands slip when a roller is held, so product can queue without the drive fighting it, and that is enough to protect most cartons. It is low-pressure accumulation, not zero pressure: boxes still touch. If your product genuinely cannot touch, or you need to release items individually on a timed sequence, that is a zero line pressure conveyor job. Being clear about which one you need at design stage is cheaper than discovering it after installation.
Lineshaft covers light, medium and heavy duty configurations, and per carton it sits in the light to medium range. The number that matters is not a headline load figure but the combination of conveyor width, roller pitch and speed, which is why capacity is calculated against your product rather than quoted from a brochure. The same applies to how many modules a single motor will drive: it depends on load, speed, how many accumulation zones there are and what ancillaries hang off it, so it is worked out at design to balance torque against room for future expansion.
Layouts are not limited to straight lines. Heavy-duty corner belts drive product through bends, merges and mitres, so a lineshaft system can turn corners and combine feeds without a separate powered transfer at each junction. Combined with the modular frame and standard components, this is what makes it straightforward to reconfigure a line later rather than rebuilding it.
Lineshaft runs noticeably quieter than chain-driven alternatives, with typical installations below about 70 dB(A) depending on load, speed and layout. In a picking or packing hall where people stand beside the line for a full shift, that is a working-conditions issue and a noise-exposure duty, not just a comfort one.
Cartons, totes and trays with flat, rigid bases are the natural traffic. Soft, irregular or unstable items run better on belt or modular belt conveyors, which support the whole base rather than bridging rollers. The frame is powder coated for durability, and the environment limit is firm: lineshaft is for dry areas. Anywhere that gets washed down needs stainless belt or modular belt with IP-rated components instead.
Routine checks on the bands, the rollers and the shaft tension, keeping the line clean, inspecting bearings and verifying guards and safety circuits. The advantage compounds here too: fewer drives means fewer maintenance points, and bands are a cheap consumable rather than a drive replacement.
For very heavy loads and pallets, use roller conveyor or chain conveyor built for pallet weights. For true zero-pressure accumulation and per-zone control, 24V motor-driven roller is the answer. For steep inclines or soft bases, belt or modular belt. And where a stretch of line only has to move product downhill from A to B, gravity roller conveyors do it with no drive at all. Most good layouts use two or three of these together, gravity where nothing needs controlling, lineshaft for the long powered runs, and zero pressure only where the product demands it. LVP Automation specify, install and support all of them from Finglas, Dublin 11 as part of our wider automation services.
Ideal for mixed carton/tote handling, long runs with many ancillaries, and sites prioritising low noise and gentle accumulation at a competitive cost.
Add photo-eyes for accumulation, merges/diverters, pop-up transfers, side guides and stops, plus PLC/HMI control with SCADA/MES connectivity.
Picking/packing lines, e-commerce fulfilment, infeed/outfeed to labelling/vision/strappers and wrappers, buffering before palletising in FMCG and pharma/medical (dry areas).
Everything you need to know about lineshaft conveyors, from loads and layouts to accumulation, noise, maintenance and when to choose an alternative.
A single motor drives a rotating shaft; polyurethane bands connect the shaft to each roller. This powers multiple modules and enables gentle, low-pressure accumulation.
Cartons, totes and trays with flat, rigid bases. Soft, irregular or unstable items typically run better on belt or modular belt conveyors.
It provides low-pressure accumulation by design. For true ZPA (no touching between items), choose a 24V motor-driven roller (MDR) system or add controlled zones.
Typically light to medium duty per carton. Exact capacity depends on width, roller pitch and speed, we size the system to your spec during design.
Yes. Lineshaft systems handle bends, merges and mitres using heavy-duty corner belts and the right roller geometry for smooth product transfer.
Generally quieter than chain-driven alternatives. Typical installs run below ~70 dB(A), depending on load, speed and layout.
No. For wet/washdown areas use stainless belt or modular belt conveyors with appropriate IP-rated components.
Routine checks of bands, rollers and tension; keep the line clean, inspect bearings, and verify safety/guards. Fewer drives mean fewer maintenance points.
It depends on loads, speed, accumulation zones and ancillaries. We calculate this during design to balance torque, efficiency and future expansion.
For very heavy loads/pallets, choose pallet roller/chain conveyors; for precise ZPA, pick 24V MDR; for steep inclines/soft bases, use belt or modular belt systems.
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