Crowned rollers are known to center running belts by observation. Crown can be an unintentional artifact of rollers whose surfaces are machined on lathes while supported at their ends. The bending stiffness of the rotating roller allows the roller to deflect away from the cutting tool. If centering is desired the crown may be intentionally cut into the roller surface.

Webs have small finite buckling strength. The same steering forces that will center a belt on a crowned roller may buckle or wrinkle a web. The objective herein is to demonstrate modeling methods that can be used to determine when the crown level will induce buckles or wrinkles in a web or a belt.