Conveyor brushes do not get the attention that drive motors and belt tracking do — until a worn brush lets debris through, product falls off the line, or dust builds up in a bearing and the whole system stops. Choosing the right brush type for your conveyor application prevents those failures. This guide covers the three main conveyor brush families — strip, roller, and spiral — with the application, filament, and mounting details that make the difference between a brush that lasts and one that is replaced quarterly.
Strip brushes for conveyors: the sealing and guiding workhorse
Strip brushes mounted along conveyor edges are the first line of defence against product fall-off, dust ingress, and static build-up. A correctly specified strip brush makes continuous contact along its full length, sealing the gap between the belt and the machine frame without dragging the belt or generating enough friction to heat the filament. The key variables are filament material (Nylon 6.6 for general sealing, PP for wet or chemical environments, conductive filament for static dissipation), bristle trim length and density (denser packing seals better but costs more), and the mounting channel profile (aluminium for general use, stainless for washdown areas, flexible for curved conveyor sections).
For more on selecting the right strip brush configuration, see our comparison of disk vs. strip vs. roller brushes.
Roller brushes for conveyors: powered cleaning and transfer
Roller (cylinder) brushes rotate against the conveyor belt or the product surface to clean, position, or transfer material. Common applications include belt cleaning (a roller brush mounted under the return side of the belt, rotating against the belt surface to dislodge carryback), product transfer (a roller brush positioned between two conveyor sections, rotating to bridge the gap and guide product across), and surface treatment (a roller brush rotating against flat stock or sheet material to remove dust or apply a finish before the next process step). The critical specs are core diameter and shaft fittings (to match the driven roller position on the conveyor frame), filament material and diameter (Nylon 6.6 for belt cleaning, softer filament for product contact), and rotation direction relative to the belt (counter-rotation is more aggressive; co-rotation is gentler).
Spiral brushes for conveyors: continuous wrap for uniform coverage
Spiral-wound brushes are a subset of roller brushes where the filament strip is wound continuously around the core in a helical pattern, rather than set in individual tufted rows. The spiral pattern gives them two advantages: uniform bristle coverage across the full face width, and a natural material-ejection movement that pushes debris to one end of the brush as it rotates. Spiral brushes excel in food-processing conveyors where the brush must self-clean, in glass-washing lines where uniform contact pressure prevents streaking, and in agricultural grading lines where product moves continuously across a rotating brush bed. The trade-off is that spiral brushes are more expensive to manufacture than tufted rollers; the cost is justified only when the uniform coverage or self-cleaning property is required.
Choosing the right filament for your conveyor environment
The filament does the work; the core and channel just hold it in place. For belt-cleaning under a conveyor, Nylon 6.6 at 0.50-0.80 mm diameter is the standard — stiff enough to dislodge carryback, durable enough to last. For product contact in food processing, PP is preferred for chemical resistance and food-grade availability. For static-control applications, conductive filament with a resistance rating under 10⁶ ohms dissipates charge before it builds to a spark. For high-temperature conveyors — kiln exits, dryer belts — steel wire or brass wire handles temperatures that would melt nylon, though the brush body must also be rated for the temperature.
Related products
- Strip brushes — conveyor sealing and guiding
- Roller brushes — belt cleaning and product transfer
- Small roller brushes — compact conveyor positions
Get the right conveyor brush without the trial and error
Send Pamin your conveyor type, belt width, operating speed, and what you want the brush to do (seal, clean, guide, or transfer). We will recommend the right family and filament, and return a factory-direct quote with DDP delivery, usually within one business day. Request a quote today.