Polyurethane Rollers
Standard rollers slip, take a set, debond and mark the material. Custom-engineered polyurethane rollers hold up.
— The Recurring Problems
Grip drift
The roller must grip or drive at a controlled coefficient of friction and hold it as the surface wears
Continuous load
It runs continuously and under load, so it can’t take a set, lose diameter or debond from the core
Environment
It sees abrasive media, chemicals and heat, and sometimes static-sensitive or cleanroom conditions
Marking
Premium or delicate media can’t be marked, scuffed or contaminated
Custom geometry
Many systems need custom grooves, crowns, profiles, hardness or conductivity a stock roller can’t provide
Line risk
When the roller wears, takes a set or debonds, the line slips, mistracks, marks product or goes down
— The Differentiator
Where standard components fall short
Most engineers start with rubber-covered rollers, injection-molded plastic rollers, metal rollers, or a standard catalog roller. Each one falls short:
- Rubber wears and hardens, so grip and coefficient of friction can drift
- Injection-molded plastic covers can debond from the core under load
- Plastic and metal rollers run noisy, grip poorly and can mark the material
- Abrasive media, chemicals and heat degrade standard rollers
- None can be customized to the durometer, coefficient of friction, profile and conductivity the position requires, and stock suppliers offer no engineering support
— Solution Spotlights
A roller customized to grip, profile, and conductivity
Every MPC roller is custom-engineered. MPC manufactures custom cast polyurethane rollers, customized to the coefficient of friction, durometer, profile and wear life the system needs, chemically bonded to a machined core.
Grip drift
Custom cast polyurethane customized to the exact coefficient of friction, durometer and wear life the system needs, so it grips without marking and holds that grip as it wears
Continuous load
Low compression set holds diameter and profile under continuous load, so the roller doesn’t take a set or lose diameter
Bonding
The cover-to-core bond is chemical and stronger than the polyurethane itself, so the cover wears down rather than separating from the core
Custom geometry
Custom grooves, crowns and profiles, molded or machined to the required tolerances on steel or aluminum cores
Static control and clean
Conductive rollers for ESD-sensitive lines, and low-particulation, non-marking materials for critical or cleanroom media
Service
Roller recoating and rebuild to keep existing rollers in service
A standard roller is one fixed material and one fixed geometry. Matching grip, profile, bonding and conductivity at the same time takes a roller customized to the position.
Talk it through with a polyurethane expert who’ll tell you what’s achievable and what is not.
— featured case study
Warehouse Automation OEM Cuts ESD Faults 70%
A warehouse automation OEM was losing uptime to static discharge and roller wear in its AMRs. This case study shows how MPC engineered a conductive roller that reduced ESD faults by roughly 70% and delivered 2.5× the roller life—reliable enough to standardize across the whole platform.
A warehouse automation OEM was losing uptime to static discharge and roller wear in its AMRs
MPC engineered a conductive roller, customized to a stable static-dissipating volume resistivity and bonded to a machined core for continuous operation.
THE RESULT
— Technical Specifications
The specs that matter
Property
Range for this solution
Hardness
ASTM D2240
- Shore 20A–70D — solid polyurethane
- Shore 20A–70D — conductive polyurethane
- Customized to the grip and load the position needs
Mechanical properties (Durethane® S)
- Tensile strength 250–7,800 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 30–800 PLI
- Elongation 160–850%
- Compression set 5–40%
Volume resistivity (Durethane® C)
- Conductive range ≈ 10⁵–10¹¹ Ω-cm
- Typical ESD dissipation target 10⁶–10⁸ Ω-cm, held part to part
Mechanical properties (Durethane® C)
- Tensile strength 250–7,000 PSI
- Tear strength, Die C 50–400 PLI
- Elongation 160–850%
- Compression set 5–40%
Abrasion and surface finish
High abrasion resistance with tolerance to tight surface finishes
Customizable properties
- Coefficient of friction, durometer, profile and wear life are formulated to the position
- Custom grooves, crowns and profiles, molded or machined to tolerance
- Cast onto machined steel or aluminum cores; the bond is chemical and stronger than the polyurethane itself
Relevant technical downloads
Document
What it gives the engineer
Polycarbonate polyurethane material specifications — hardness 70A–90A with the lowest compression set in the family, for high-pressure, high-temperature and aggressive-chemistry seals.
Conductive polyurethane material specifications, including the volume resistivity range for static-dissipative and conductive covers.
Solid polyurethane material specifications: hardness 20A–70D with tensile, elongation, tear and compression set, for cast roller covers.
In-depth overview of MPC’s patented metal salts technology, which provides stable volume resistivity as the cover wears.
— Industry highlights
Where this product works
MPC rollers grip, drive and convey in continuous-duty systems across industries. These are examples, not limits
Conductive, low-particulation rollers for ESD-sensitive, cleanroom lines
— HOW IT WORKS
From concept to scaled production
Connect With Us
Share your application, performance needs, or a part you want to improve.
Collaborate on Design
Our engineers will help optimize materials and geometry for manufacturability.
Prototype & Refine
We produce samples using our proprietary polyurethane formulations for testing.
Move to Production
Once approved, we move to scalable molding with full quality assurance.
Tell us what the roller has to grip, drive or convey and the conditions it runs in, and we will build the roller to your specifications.
— PROOF
Case studies & white papers
Case Studies
Robotics OEM Doubles Roller Life, Boosts Uptime
A continuous-duty robotics manufacturer kept losing rollers to flat-spotting under constant load and start-stop motion. This case study shows how MPC’s custom cast roller eliminated the flat spots and delivered about 2× the service life, cutting the unplanned maintenance that was slowing the line.
Semiconductor Automation Manufacturer Achieves 4x Roller Life
A semiconductor automation manufacturer needed rollers that were cleanroom-compliant, long-wearing, and static-controlled all at once. This case study shows how MPC’s custom conductive formulation passed ISO cleanroom testing and ran roughly 4× longer than the plastic rollers it replaced, with zero contamination events.
Robotics OEM Extends Roller Life Under Heavy Loads
A robotics OEM was losing rollers prematurely under heavy, continuous loads. This case study shows how MPC’s high-load cast roller stood up to the punishment and extended service life, cutting the premature failures that were driving downtime.
White Papers
Engineering Urethane Wheels and Rollers for Robotics and Automation
Wheels and rollers are among the hardest-working parts in any automated system. This white paper walks engineers through designing them for load, wear, traction, and reliability in heavy-duty robotics, so they last instead of becoming the weak link.
Engineering Polyurethane Components for Heavy-Duty Applications
Modern automation pushes mechanical parts past what standard materials can handle. This white paper covers the material, process, and design choices behind heavy-duty polyurethane components for robotics and precision systems, so they hold up under continuous duty.
Custom Polyurethane Formulations in Robotics
When off-the-shelf materials can’t hit every requirement at once, robotics engineers turn to custom formulation. This white paper explains how MPC customizes durometer, additives, and chemistry to resolve the competing demands of wear, stiffness, and environmental resistance in robotic systems.
Technical Downloads
Conductive Polyurethane: Technology Overview
Not all conductive plastics are equal. This white paper explains why MPC’s metal-salt conductive polyurethane stays stable as the part wears and doesn’t shed like heavily carbon-loaded materials.
— Design Guide
How to specify a custom polyurethane roller, plus the comparisons that matter, cover material, machining and bonding.
— FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What roller grips at a consistent coefficient of friction without marking the material?
A cast polyurethane roller customized to the coefficient of friction the system needs. MPC sets the grip and durometer to the media and line speed and holds it as the surface wears, with non-marking materials so premium or delicate media isn’t compromised.
How do I stop rollers from debonding from the core under load?
Use a chemically bonded polyurethane roller. MPC’s rollers’ bond is stronger than the polyurethane itself, so the polyurethane wears down rather than separating from the core under continuous load.
Can you manufacture custom grooves, crowns or profiles into a roller?
Yes. MPC manufactures custom grooves, crowns and other profiles to the required tolerances, on steel or aluminum cores. Our custom components are designed to meet the exact requirements of your application.
Can rollers be conductive, ESD-safe or cleanroom-compliant?
Yes. MPC manufactures conductive rollers customized to an ESD-dissipating volume resistivity, and low-particulation, non-marking rollers validated for cleanroom duty.
Can you recoat and service worn rollers?
Yes. MPC recoats and rebuilds worn rollers to keep them in service, so you can refurbish an existing roller instead of replacing the whole assembly.
Do you make standard rollers, or is every roller custom?
Every MPC roller is custom-engineered. There is no off-the-shelf catalog roller; each one is customized to the grip, profile, durometer and conductivity the system needs.
— Keep Exploring