SLH Low Carbon Steel: The Workhorse of Industrial Conveyor Systems

Industrial conveyors are the backbone of manufacturing and logistics, moving everything from automotive parts to food products. These systems need to be strong, durable, and easy to maintain—and SLH Low Carbon Steel has become the material of choice for conveyor manufacturers, thanks to its weldability, ductility, and cost-effectiveness.

Conveyors face two main challenges: handling heavy loads (up to 500kg per meter) and withstanding constant wear. SLH Low Carbon Steel (grades like A36 and 1018) addresses both. A36 has a tensile strength of 400–550 MPa, which is more than enough to handle heavy loads, while its ductility (20% elongation at break) means it can bend slightly under stress without cracking. A manufacturer of automotive assembly conveyors used SLH A36 for their conveyor frames and reported that the frames could handle 600kg per meter—20% more than their previous high-carbon steel frames—without deformation.

Weldability is another key advantage. Conveyors are built by welding together sections of steel, and high-carbon steels require preheating and post-heating to avoid weld cracking. SLH Low Carbon Steel can be welded cold, using standard MIG or TIG welding techniques. This cuts welding time by 30% and eliminates the risk of thermal stress cracks. The automotive conveyor manufacturer saw their weld pass rate jump from 85% to 98%, reducing rework costs by 75%.

SLH Low Carbon Steel also offers excellent machinability, which is essential for making conveyor components like rollers and brackets. Grade 1018 SLH Low Carbon Steel has a machinability rating of 70 (compared to 100 for free-machining steel), which means it can be drilled, tapped, and milled quickly and easily. A logistics conveyor manufacturer used 1018 for their rollers and reported that machining time per roller dropped from 15 minutes to 10 minutes—increasing production by 33%.

Durability is ensured by SLH’s optional coatings. For conveyors used in harsh environments (like food processing, where moisture is a problem), SLH offers zinc-plated or epoxy-coated Low Carbon Steel. A food manufacturer used zinc-plated SLH Low Carbon Steel for their conveyors and found that the coating prevented rust even after 10 years of daily washdowns.

Cost is the final piece of the puzzle. SLH Low Carbon Steel costs $0.80 per kilogram, compared to $2.50 per kilogram for stainless steel and $1.20 per kilogram for high-carbon steel. For a 10-ton conveyor system, using SLH Low Carbon Steel saves $4,000–$17,000 in material costs.

For conveyor manufacturers, SLH Low Carbon Steel is the ultimate workhorse: strong enough to handle heavy loads, easy to weld and machine, and affordable enough to keep projects on budget. As manufacturing and logistics grow, SLH Low Carbon Steel will continue to be the backbone of efficient, reliable conveyor systems