October 5, 2026
Morris, Minn. – Superior Industries, Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer and global supplier of bulk material processing and handling systems, is making its Titanium™ Seal standard on all of its conveyor idlers. Previously available as a premium option, the patented seal is designed to protect bearings from contamination and extend idler life by at least 25% compared with other commonly used rolls.
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Superior introduced the Titanium Seal in 2020 following years of testing and field trials. Since then, thousands of idlers equipped with the seal have been put to work in aggregate, mining and other bulk material handling applications where they are regularly exposed to washdowns, slurry, dust and abrasive material. Strong performance in those real-world conditions gave Superior the confidence to make the Titanium Seal standard across its idler offering, with the exception of CEMA B rolls.
“Conveyor roll failures almost always come down to a failed bearing, and the bearing seal is its only line of defense against moisture and dust,” says Paul D. Schmidgall, Superior’s chief engineer of conveyor components. “That’s why we made the seal our primary focus in 2014 and spent years testing, tweaking and working through dozens of designs to keep contamination away from the bearing.”
The Titanium Seal uses a series of moisture and dust barriers that create a longer, more difficult path between contaminants and the bearing. Superior engineers evaluated the design through controlled testing that accelerates exposure to water, slurry and dust particles, then followed its performance in real-world applications. Together, those results show idlers equipped with the Titanium Seal lasting at least 25% longer than other idlers tested.
Superior says field performance also influenced the decision to make the seal standard.
At Rogers Group’s Gallatin Quarry in Tennessee, Titanium Seals held up in a wash plant where idlers are regularly drenched with water. After seeing their performance in that demanding area, the operation expanded their use throughout the plant.
Capital Sand in Missouri had previously found noisy rolls with failing bearings during nearly every conveyor inspection. After switching to Superior idlers equipped with Titanium Seals, the plant manager reported that the replacement idlers remained in service more than a year later.
At a Vulcan Materials operation in Tennessee running six days a week and processing up to three million tons annually, idlers equipped with Titanium Seals showed no signs of slowing down after a year. According to the plant manager, the operation had not replaced a single one, reducing shutdowns and their associated costs.
Heidelberg Materials experienced similar results in a wet, gritty area of one of its Illinois operations where rolls had been failing quickly. As failed idlers were replaced with idlers equipped with Titanium Seals, the operation began getting significantly more roll life and spending less time changing them.
A failed idler creates costs beyond the replacement roll, including maintenance labor, conveyor downtime and potential belt damage if the roll locks up. By improving the barrier around the bearing, the Titanium Seal is designed to help idlers remain in service longer and reduce the frequency of those replacements.
Dry bulk material producers and handlers can review Superior’s Titanium Seal testing protocols and results, then use an online life-cycle calculator to estimate potential savings based on their own idler labor and maintenance practices at superior-ind.com/titanium.
About Superior Industries, Inc.
Superior Industries is a deeply-rooted, privately-owned American manufacturing company whose products play a pivotal role in the processing and handling of minerals used to build the world’s infrastructure. Specialties include crushing, screening, washing, and conveying systems, alongside comprehensive parts and services that support robust construction aggregates production from Rock Face to Load Out®. Equipped with one million square feet of manufacturing space and more than 100 engineers, Superior is headquartered in Morris, Minnesota, with four additional production facilities in the United States, plus international manufacturing locations in Canada, Brazil, and Asia.
Press Contact
Corey Poppe
Communications Manager
+1 (320) 589-2406
corey.poppe@superior-ind.com