Help: Casters

How many swiveling casters should you have? If the device will be rolling for a distance, you may want to have only 2 swivels and two rigid (non-swiveling). Choose 4 swiveling, if this piece has to fit into a tight spot!

Glossary of Caster Terminology

Listed and defined below are common terms used to describe and specify casters and wheels.

Durometer - Scale for measuring the hardness of a wheel material.
Load Capacity - The load a caster or wheel will hold.
Overall Height - The total vertical distance from the floor to the top of the mounting plate or the base of the stem of the caster.
Raceway - A channel that consist of one or two rows of ball bearings or rollers, which allows a caster to swivel.
Retaining Washer - A washer pressed into the hub ends to retain the bearings. Sealed version of this washer keeps grease in and debris out of the bearings.
Rig - A caster without a wheel.
Rollability - The ease of starting and maintaining rolling motion. Rollability is determined by many factors like, durometer of wheel, floor conditions and surfaces, load and size of wheel and the wheel bearings.
Swivel Lead - The distance between the centerline of the kingpin and the centerline of the axle of a swivel caster. The larger the offset the easier swiveling, but the smaller offset offers greater strength.
Swivel Radius - The horizontal distance from the center of the Kingpin to the edge of the tread of the wheel.
Tread Width - Width of the wheel tread.
Wheel Diameter - The distance of the wheel measured vertically from one side of the tread to the other.

Questions you may be asked when ordering casters

What is the weight capacity required? (One caster or combined?)
What is the intended application?
What is the overall height of the caster required? Wheel diameter?
Will there be liquid (water, oil) in the area?
What is the centre to centre spacing required?(see above as "ctr to ctr")

Caster Accessories and More

Our industry is not a new one! As a result, there are likely more options available than what a person might think. For example, for some styles of casters there are rings available that can help push cords away from being run over in an “operating room” environment. There are also “position locks” for many models of casters that help maneuver something in a tight spot at times, but then change to help guide when moving a distance and require direction control.

Bearings

For wheels, in addition to making the correct selection of material bearing choices often make all the difference in the world. Different quality levels of bearings are often available and can make something move much easier. Wheels being the contact to the floor also makes them vulnerable to picking up debris. So choosing a sealed bearing can give a longer life to it.

Brakes

In addition to different finishes available for some casters, there are also different stopping options. There are more choices than just brakes on casters. A product known as a “flor lock” can sometimes be used in conjunction with certain models of casters which are truly a stopper when solid stillness is needed.

Bumpers, Bushings, Axles

A wide array of corner bumpers, handle bumpers and strip bumpers also come in handy when circumstances are warranted. Different hardware materials for unique situations might be needed in wet or corrosive environments. For that we carry “Delrin” bushing and bearings, “Stainless” bearings, bushings and axles, and even “Vulca seals” to help keep the wheels rolling.

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel! Let one of our specialists share with you what we have seen, heard or experienced in all of our years of assisting millions of customers.