Casters are mounted on the bottom of equipment or furniture to enable its movement and steering. They are used in a wide range of applications, from home furniture, supermarket mobile shelving, medical mobile carts to industrial equipment. Casters commonly found on food carts, worktables, or wire shelving will be mentioned in this post.
Installation Types
Grip Ring Stem Caster
Casters are inserted into the tube by the grip ring stem.
Threaded Stem Caster
Twist the threaded stem into the bottom of a tube using a cylindrical nut.
Rubber Expandable Stem Caster
Insert the stem into the tube after the outside diameter of the rubber sleeve is tightened and expanded a bit smaller than the inside diameter of the tubing. Then tighten the nut with a wrench to secure the tube and caster.
Individual Caster Loading Capacity
When using four casters, the actual safe load capacity is generally based on the total load capacity of three casters. This is because, on uneven surfaces, only three casters may be in contact with the ground, and only three casters bear the entire weight.
Medium Duty
- 3″ caster, diameter: 75mm, wheel width: 32mm, load capacity: 100~150kg
- 4″ caster, diameter: 100mm, wheel width: 32mm, load capacity: 130~195kg
- 5″ caster, diameter: 125mm, wheel width: 32mm, load capacity: 140~210kg
Heavy Duty
- 4″ caster, diameter: 100mm, wheel width: 44~50mm, load capacity: 280~420kg
- 5″ caster, diameter: 125mm, wheel width: 44~50mm, load capacity: 350~525kg
- 6″ caster, diameter: 150mm, wheel width: 44~50mm, load capacity: 410~615kg
- 8″ caster, diameter: 200mm, wheel width: 44~50mm, load capacity: 420~630kg
Some Wheel Material
PU Caster
Material: Polyurethane
Characteristics:
- Wear-resistant
- Chemical-resistant
- Tear-resistant
- Good load-bearing
- Shock absorption
- Noise reduction
Application Industries:
Medical industry
Food processing Industry
Offices
Factory handling
Warehousing logistics
Machinery manufacturing
Temperature Range:
-35～80℃
PA Caster
Material: Nylon
Characteristics:
- High load capacity
- Good toughness
- Insulating material, anti-static casters are generally made of nylon
- Strong wear resistance
- Heat-resistant
- Corrosion-resistant
- Self-extinguishing, non-toxic, odorless
Application Industries:
Factory handling
Instruments
Warehousing logistics
Equipment manufacturing
Temperature Range:
-35~100℃
High-temperature nylon: 250℃
PP Caster
Material: Polypropylene
Characteristics:
- Inexpensive
- Relatively low load capacity, used in light-duty casters
- High bending fatigue life
- Fatigue-resistant
- Oil, acid, and alkali resistant
- Non-toxic, odorless, environmentally friendly, recyclable
Application Industries:
Factory handling
Warehousing logistics
Equipment manufacturing
Temperature Range:
-15~80℃
TPR Caster
Material: Thermoplastic rubber
Characteristics:
- Relatively high cost in conventional casters
- Quiet operation
- Shock absorption
- Floor protection
- Low friction coefficient
- Chemical-resistant
- Moisture and water-resistant
Application Industries:
Medical equipment
Electronics industry
Laboratories
Kitchen equipment
Temperature Range:
-30~80℃
ER caster
Material: Natural rubber
Characteristics:
- High rebound, good shock absorption
- Low noise
- Wear-resistant
- Low-temperature resistant
- Adjustable hardness by modifying the rubber formulation
Application Industries:
Industrial equipment
Machinery manufacturing
Warehousing logistics
Temperature Range:
-40~80℃
Some Specification Definitions
Wheel Diameter
Refers to the diameter of the wheel. It is chosen based on installation height and usage environment, the larger the wheel diameter, the easier it is to push and the better it is at overcoming obstacles.
Wheel Width
Refers to the width of the tire’s contact surface. The larger the contact area between the wheel and the ground, the better the grip and stability, but it also increases the initial force required to move the equipment.
Installation Height
Refers to the vertical distance from the mounting surface of the caster to the ground. Note: The mounting surface refers to the upper surface of the top plate or the lower neck surface of the threaded stem (or grip ring stem).
Offset Distance
The distance between the swivel caster’s steering axis and the wheel’s rotational axis. The greater the offset distance, the more flexible the steering, but the lower the load capacity. The reasonableness of the offset distance affects the quality of the caster.