Shock Absorbers for Conveyor Stops and Transfer Systems
How to review stopping duty in pallet transfer, roller conveyor and material-handling stations before selecting an absorber.
Direct answer
For a conveyor or transfer stop, use the highest arriving mass, actual impact velocity and maximum transfer frequency as the starting case. Then check whether accumulation, a powered drive or poor alignment adds force or side load during the absorber stroke. The model must satisfy single-impact energy, hourly duty and the available mechanical stroke together.
Questions this page answers
- How do I choose a shock absorber for a conveyor stop?
- What data is needed for a pallet transfer stop?
- Why do conveyor stops wear out faster than expected?
Required inputs
Formula logic
Base moving energy
Use the heaviest transfer load and its impact velocity at the stopping position. Powered drive work must be reviewed separately when it remains active during deceleration.
E = 1/2 x m x v^2Unit: N m
Review steps
- 1
Recognize the problem and its limits
A pallet jolts, rebounds or shifts its payload at the stop. Review the full moving load and any accumulation force. This example covers a guided horizontal stop; continuous machine vibration and safety-critical emergency stops require a separate assessment.
- 2
Collect the operating data
Weigh the complete moving assembly. Obtain speed at first contact from a trace or a safely recorded movement, rather than using the machine’s nominal speed. Count impacts at this individual stop during peak production. Measure usable travel and record whether a belt, queued pallets or an actuator keep pushing. Mark estimates and unknowns; send photos or a drawing when measurements are unavailable.
- 3
Worked engineering example — not a customer case
Assume one absorber stops a horizontal 50 kg load at 1 m/s, with no drive force during compression and 30 impacts/minute. Energy per impact = 0.5 × 50 × 1² = 25 J. Cycle rate = 30 × 60 = 1,800/h. Hourly energy = 25 × 1,800 = 45,000 J/h. These are assumed demonstration inputs, not your machine’s results.
- 4
Why one model is excluded
EK20x12 is listed at 31 J/cycle and 35,200 J/h. The 25 J impact is below its single-impact rating, but 45,000 J/h exceeds its hourly rating, so exclude it for this assumed continuous duty. A passing single-impact check cannot cancel a failed thermal-duty check.
- 5
What may enter the shortlist
EK25x25 is listed at 81 J/cycle, 77,000 J/h and 25 mm stroke. It passes only the two energy checks in this example and can enter further review if the mechanism accommodates its working stroke and mounting dimensions. This is not approval for installation.
- 6
Validate before ordering
Confirm effective mass and velocity range, peak transmitted force, allowable structural load, adjustment, full return before the next impact, alignment and thermal conditions. Record initial and stabilized temperature, cycle rate, stroke use and observed rebound during a controlled trial. Define acceptance limits with the machine designer; missing model limits require engineering confirmation.
Common mistakes
- Using the nominal payload while omitting the pallet, carrier and fixture mass.
- Ignoring product accumulation that changes the effective mass or creates a second push into the stop.
- Using the absorber as the only positional stop without a suitable mechanical reference.
Technical notes
- Illustrative calculation; EK20x12 and EK25x25 ratings checked against published EKD model records on 4 October 2026. J and Nm are equivalent energy units. Catalog ratings do not establish service life or application suitability.
Move from answer to model shortlist.
Use the sizing tool when you have the inputs, or send the application data for engineering review.