Industrial Caster

Casters provide mobility and transportation to tools and equipments by the way of mechanisms attached to the bottom. It has a base and a bracket assembly, an axle assembly, upon which wheels are mounted.

Industrials wheels are different from casters, and are, in fact, a part of the caster.

The wheels are used to facilitate the rolling motion to the item to which the casters are attached. The parts of the wheel include spanner bushing and bearings. The base and the bracket are attached to the king pin by the way of riveting, stacking or by the means of nut and bolts. The top plate usually has four mounting holes to which the king pin is fit. The top cup and raceways has double ball bearing swivels, which take the load. The plate fits over this cup and raceway. The cup and raceway may be welded, cast drop forged or stamped into the bracket. Side thrust, better swivel action, and more ball contact is provided by lower cup and raceway. The king pin nut can be tightened for closer tolerance and fit it fits underneath. Axle assemblies can be replaced, as they consist of nut and bolts. Spanner is not always required for this.

One should have an idea of the type of attachment that will be required, to choose a correct corresponding caster. Three swivels, two-rigid/two swivel, tilt mounting; diamond mounting, four swivels, and four swivel/two rigid are the various methods of attaching a caster. An expandable rubber stem, which is inserted into the tubing, is another way of attaching a caster. The caster is fixed to the unit with octagonal shaped stems, with bolts that go through cross-drilled holes, which are fixed in angle iron legs. The threaded stem passing through the hole is kept in place by a lock nut, or may go into a tapped hole. Stem/socket or stems without socket, top plate mounting, are other ways to attach a caster.

Casters find use in almost all the industries and are used on items such as chairs, dollies, beds, carts, racks, and stands.

Various factors play a role while selecting a caster, and the points that needs to be considered are load capacity of the caster, the shock load applied to the caster, the environmental conditions, such as temperature and moisture, which the caster may be subjected to and the substances to which the caster may be exposed to during use.

. The overall height of the wheel, diameter and face width, the hardness and requirement of wheel brake are things that should be known before selecting a caster. If one is looking for a color caster, it should be mentioned, along with the shade, to the manufacturer, before ordering the caster. It helps to provide the manufacturer with rough sketch or prints of the applications, so as they can modify the caster according to the use, especially the fixing mechanism.

Cumulative trauma disorders (CTD’s) are a kind of workplace injuries that is a result of a combination of repetitive motion made in an uncomfortable posture, and use of force without sufficient rest. Billions of dollars are paid out by the employers, as the means of compensation against such injuries. Even more money is spent on litigation costs, treatment, and hidden cost due to lost productivity. According to one estimate, 80% of the employees will suffer from such or other related injury during their careers. By choosing appropriate casters, such conditions can be prevented. Special casters can be designed which will allow low rolling resistance, and can be attached with shock absorbing wheels. These measures can help in decreasing the occurrences of injuries such as backaches and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Stainless Steel Casters

Casters are small wheels attached to equipment to make it easier to move them around. Casters are basically a wheel and axle assembly. They are used in factories, laboratories offices and even in homes. Casters are generally classified into two types; rigid casters and swivel casters. Rigid casters can only move in a straight line while swivel caster can move in any possible direction. Stainless steel casters are manufactured in both rigid and swivel type. They are also available in flat and v-groove forms. Some of the casters also have brakes on them.

One should consider the purpose of the caster and then buy it. For example, a light duty caster cannot be used to carry heavy load, if done so they will ware out earlier than their expected life span. While purchasing a caster, one must keep in mind the equipment load, environmental conditions, floor surface, etc.

It is always advisable to buy the largest size of wheels that your equipment permits.

This is because the greater the diameter of the wheel lesser is the effort required to move them. One should also consider the caster mountings. There are two basic types of mountings i.e. plate and stem. There are various stem mountings like rounded, threaded and square. Rubber and polyurethane are the two materials used on the wheels of stainless steel casters. By purchasing the right caster you can save on the maintenance, cleaning and replacement cost. There are a variety of stainless steel casters available in the market for varied applications. Selection of an inappropriate caster will cost you a lot of material handling time.

Properties of stainless steel casters:

1  They are corrosion resistant casters
2  They are non-magnetic casters
3  They are strong and can carry a lot of weight.

Most iron carbon stainless steel casters contain 10% chromium this makes them corrosion resistant. The average maximum weight a single stainless steel caster can handle is 1500 lbs. Casters with stainless steel wheels are best suited for sooth floors and not for rough floors. Using these casters on rough floors will make it tough to move them about and reduce their life. Stainless steel casters are used in laboratories and hospitals to carry MRI machines and other hospital equipment, as they can carry heavy loads and are non-magnetic in nature. Due to all the chemicals and typical environmental conditions in the laboratories, hospitals and pharmaceutical industries, stainless steel casters are the best option. They are also used in chemical, dairy industries, fisheries, food processing, machinery, as they can withstand the harsh chemicals and moisture. They have a longer life span than other casters when used in these industries. In these industries stainless steel casters are used to carry food service equipment, stainless steel racks, wash-down carts, etc. Stainless steel casters are ideal in a wet or corrosive environment.

Ball Casters

A ball caster is made up of several different parts. These include the king pin, top plate, top cup and raceway, bracket, lower cup and raceway, lubrication, king pin nut, wheel, wheel bearing, spanner bushing, lubrication axle and axle assembly. There might be slight variations in casters produced by different companies, and its different models, but the principles remain the same. The parts mentioned hold the caster together, and facilitate its movements. The chief function of a ball caster is to provide easy maneuverability. Thus, it is important that all the parts used are of high quality, and are assembled in such a way that there is no distortion to the unit to which the caster is attached.

Casters allow movement to equipment by ways of wheel and horn assemblies that are attached to the equipment.

Rigid and swivel are two basic type of casters. Rigid casters allow only straight-line movement, while swivel casters are used for movement in any direction.

There are some varieties of swivel casters that can be transformed to rigid casters by the way of engaging a lock provided. Various materials such as aluminum, brass, chrome, etc. are used to manufacture rigid and swivel industrial casters. A caster may also be such that, the wheel or roller makes use of one type of material, while the plate, horn, and mounting flange are made of another. There are various important specifications that needs to be considered while choosing casters, which include the load capacity, wheel tread width, wheel diameter, and height.

There are various types of wheels that are used in casters. V-grooved wheels provide superior traction, and can ride on tracks or floors. Pneumatic wheels are those, which are filled with air. Such wheels usually consist of a rubber tire on a metal rim and offer better shock absorption. Tube and tube-less versions of such wheels are also available. Applying heat and pressure to layers of paper or glass cloth along with synthetic resin is the method use to manufacture a pneumatic wheel. Solid materials such as plastic, polyurethane, metal, and rubber can also be used to manufacture wheels for industrial casters, as these provide added strength. Plastic wheels are usually mounted on metal or plastic hubs, while rubber wheels can be mounted on either plastic or metal hubs. Metal wheels are often made out of stainless steel and usually include forged components. Ball casters are those that feature a ball shaped wheel. Though usually made up of brass, they may also be manufactured with many other materials.

Ways to increase the life of your caster:
1  Swivel assembly should be checked for excessive play resulting due to wear. A loose swivel assembly should be replaced. A loose king pin should never be tightened, but should be as this usually means that it is worn out.
2  swivel assembly should be replaced if it does not turn freely, and so should a bent and distorted bracket.
3  Loose bolts and nuts should be tightened and care should be taken to see if there are any broken welds.
4  Lock nuts or lock washers should always be used.
5  The frame, platform, legs, and equipment should be checked for distortions, bending, or other damage. In case of damage, its use should be discontinued and should be replaced.
6  Re-lubricate should be done regularly, according to the use.
7  In case of frequent cart washings, frequent lubrication maybe required, especially after each washing.
8  Regular lubrication will increase the life and performance of wheel and swivel bearings.