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.