Controllers for motor driven rollers

(See Turck Banner at Machine Building North, 13 May 2026, on stand 60)

Motor Driven Rollers (MDR) offer several advantages over traditional roller conveyors powered by external motors, including energy efficiency, reduced maintenance, improved safety and scalability. To benefit from these advantages each roller needs a controller, and Turck Banner now offers exactly that.

MDR systems use low-voltage motors, consuming significantly less energy than systems with large external motors, and they only run when needed. The conveyor is divided into small independently controlled zones, allowing each zone to run only when required and when the next zone is ready. This provides buffering between production areas, allowing items to wait for the next phase in the process, smoothing the flow of the whole process while also protecting delicate items from bumping into each other and preventing product pile-ups.

MDRs reduce the electrical hazard as they are low voltage. They also reduce the mechanical hazard, as they are self-contained, and the smaller controlled zones stop quickly if there is a blockage, minimising the risk of injury. As they have fewer moving parts than externally driven roller conveyors and are not run continuously, they require less maintenance.

Having one controller per MDR keeps everything simple and close together. The Modbus connections back to a PLC can be combined using a Banner SNAP Signal hub, which also bolts directly to the conveyor with no extra housing required. The hubs can also be used to connect to the sensors required to detect items on the conveyor.