Korea Ever-Power · Y2 Series · Roller Conveyor Drive Guide

A single motor drives a line shaft running the full length of the conveyor. Individual rollers are driven from the line shaft through round belts or O-rings. The slip between the O-ring and the roller allows accumulation — when a product stops, the O-ring slips on the stationary roller. Line shaft drives use a single Y2 motor of 0.37 to 2.2 kW per 10 to 20 m section, with the motor output coupled to the line shaft through a small gearbox or directly. This is the simplest and lowest cost roller conveyor drive architecture for light to medium loads.

A separate motor drives each accumulation zone (1 to 5 m long) of the conveyor. Each zone motor is independently controlled by the conveyor zone controller, which can stop a zone when a product is waiting or when the downstream zone is blocked. Zone drive enables zero-pressure accumulation — products stop with zero contact force between them, preventing product damage in accumulation mode. Zone drive requires one Y2 motor (0.12 to 1.5 kW typically) and one gearbox per zone, making it more complex and expensive than line shaft but providing superior accumulation control.

Motorised rollers integrate a small DC or three-phase motor inside the roller tube itself, with adjacent rollers driven by a flat polyurethane belt from the motorised roller. Each motorised roller covers a 1 to 3 roller zone. This is the most compact architecture — there is no external motor or gearbox — but it is limited to lighter loads (below 100 kg per product). Korea Ever-Power Y2 motors are used in external zone drives as an alternative to motorised rollers for heavier pallet conveyor applications above 100 kg per unit load.

In a properly designed zero-pressure accumulation system, the zone motor is stopped when the zone sensor detects a product waiting and the downstream zone is occupied. The zone motor drives an empty zone and stops with the zone when a product is detected — there is no product accumulation against a running drive. Under these conditions, the zone motor operates at S3 intermittent duty with typical CDF of 40 to 60% — the Y2 motor thermal rating is not challenged because the motor stops cleanly when the zone stops. This is the correct approach and eliminates accumulation stall heating entirely.

In older or simpler roller conveyor systems using line shaft drives with O-ring slip, or zone drives with torque-limiting couplings, the motor continues to run while the product is stationary above a running zone. In this case the motor runs at no-load (if the rollers are slipping on the product), or runs at stall current if the product is gripping the rollers. For stall-mode accumulation, the motor must be rated for S1 continuous at rated torque AND must have an overload relay correctly set for motor stall protection. Apply service factor 1.25 to 1.5 for stall-capable accumulation drives to provide adequate thermal margin.

The zone drive motor and gearbox must fit within the lateral envelope of the conveyor frame, typically 600 to 1,200 mm wide for a pallet conveyor. The motor is normally mounted below the conveyor frame between the two side rails. Korea Ever-Power Y2 motors in IEC 71 (shaft height 71 mm) to IEC 100 (shaft height 100 mm) are compact enough to fit within standard pallet conveyor frame widths when mounted with the shaft axis parallel to the conveyor travel direction. Confirm the motor frame dimensions against the available space in the conveyor design before specifying the motor frame size.

When the motor must be mounted with its shaft axis perpendicular to the roller axis (for example, in a narrow conveyor where the motor must be installed between adjacent rollers from the side), a bevel-helical gearbox provides the 90-degree angle change at high efficiency (92 to 96%) while keeping the overall drive unit compact. Korea Ever-Power K series bevel-helical gearboxes with IEC B5 input flange connect directly to the Y2 motor and provide right-angle output at ratios from 8.1:1 to 176:1 — ideal for roller conveyor zone drives requiring right-angle mounting.

Standard industrial roller conveyor motors in warehouse and distribution centre environments only require IP54 protection — the environment is clean and dry. IP55 is recommended for conveyors in wet areas such as cold store dock levellers, beverage factory inbound and outbound conveyors, or outdoor covered dock areas where rain splash is possible. Washdown conveyors in food processing areas require BXG IP69K stainless steel motors rather than standard Y2 motors.

The Korea Ever-Power Y2 series in compact IEC 71 to 132 frames covers the 0.12 to 5.5 kW range required for roller conveyor zone drives, line shaft drives, and accumulation conveyor motors. The 4-pole Y2 at 1,450 rpm is the standard configuration for all roller conveyor zone drive applications — paired with inline helical, right-angle bevel-helical, or NMRV worm gearboxes depending on the layout and speed requirement. For conveyor systems requiring zone VFD speed control, specify the YVF2 inverter-duty motor in place of the standard Y2 for reliable operation across the full zone speed range. The complete Y2 range is in the three-phase motor section. Contact Korea Ever-Power for conveyor zone drive motor and gearbox package selection.

Single Y2 0.37 to 2.2 kW per 10 to 20 m line shaft section driving all rollers through O-rings. Simple and reliable for continuous non-accumulation transport. Common in manufacturing lines where products move at constant flow. Service factor 1.0 for non-accumulation service.

Roller conveyors in freezer stores (-25 to -18°C) for pallet and tote transport. Y2 0.12 to 0.55 kW, 4-pole, IP55. Low-temperature bearing grease required. Class F insulation on stator winding confirmed for cold ambient. Specify cold store option when ordering.

Powered roller tracks in automotive and electronics assembly carry work carriers (jigged pallets or trolleys) between assembly stations. Y2 0.12 to 0.37 kW per zone, 4-pole, paired with right-angle bevel-helical gearbox for compact installation between track rails. Zone control stops carrier at each assembly station.

Inclined roller conveyors at 5 to 15 degrees for level change between conveyor sections. Y2 0.18 to 1.1 kW per zone depending on incline angle, load weight, and zone length. Apply incline gravity force component: F-incline = W × g × sin(angle). For steep inclines, anti-rollback backstop or Y2EJ brake motor required.