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Caster Wheels Overview

Caster Concepts produces a wide variety of industrial caster wheels in all sizes, depending on your specific application. From cast iron wheels to V-groove wheels and user-specific flanged wheels. Caster Concepts provides the highest quality heavy duty caster wheels for all industrial applications.

Application

Heavy duty caster wheels are manufactured for a variety of applications and will mostly go through a manufacturing process for material handling purposes. They are built for heavy duty or extra heavy duty applications. Most industrial applications also involve some degree of application abuse. Abuse can arise from a variety of situations, including:

• Carts pulled and transported by power equipment.
• “Sudden loading” of a cart (dropping a load onto the cart even from a short height)
• Side push of cart sliding or pushed to one side
• Difficult floor conditions (expansion cracks, holes in the floor, or deterioration of the floor) that are impacted when the cart is heavily loaded and traveling at high speed
• Environmental – exposure to a variety of chemicals or fluids that can degrade the tire
• Temperatures – heat from the work situation or an oven that will damage the tire or bearing.

Types of Bearings: 

Each wheel can then be fitted with a variety of different types of bearings. Bearing type should also be a consideration when designing a wheel for a specific application.

• Ball Bearings – Used for manual applications and walking speeds.
• Precision Bearings – Used for higher speed applications, will take less abuse, can be sealed for maintenance free applications. The best ergonomic impact on the application.
• Tapered Bearing – Used for applications with more abuse and heavier loads. They require maintenance to ensure fit.

Miscellaneous:

There are various other issues that should always be considered when designing a wheel for specific applications.

• Impact that the wheel will have on the running surface – Always consider which is stronger, the running surface or the wheel. Ideally they should match as much as possible in order to preserve the running surface (generally a floor). The wheel should be a little softer.
• Environment – Solvents, debris on the surface, moisture of any type (including water), potential contamination of the bearing and/or running surface.
• Ergonomics – The cart will be operated manually (perhaps pulled and then manipulated manually) and there will be forces that should not be exceeded to eliminate injury.

 

For more information or a quote, please contact us at customercentral@casterconcepts.com or call us at 517-629-8838.