How To Select A Caster
There are many different things you must take into consideration before selecting the perfect caster, but the main ones are:
- The Weight.
- The Size.
- The Fastening.
- The Flooring.
- The Conditions.
The Weight refers to the amount of weight you're going to put on the casters -- how many pounds (a.k.a. load capacity) will you be rolling around? And you should always consider the full maximum weight, not the median. If you usually want your cart to hold 250 pounds, that's one thing; but if it occasionally goes up to 500 pounds, well, that's another. You're going to have to pick casters that will hold max weight -- otherwise, your wheels won't roll.
The Size refers to the diameter of the wheel. A general rule of thumb: The larger the wheel diameter, the easier it is to roll. Also consider that the larger the wheel, the more weight it will generally hold. Width of the wheel is also a factor as wider wheels also hold more weight. So, size matters.
The Fastening is how you're going to attach the caster to your product -- top plate, threaded stem, grip ring stem, octagon stem, round stem, etc. Since the caster needs to be securely fastened to the product, the selection of the fastening is very important.
The Flooring is extremely important because you want to select a wheel that will be friends with your floor. After all, you wouldn't want a heavy duty steel wheel rolling around on nice hardwood or tile. That would be bad. Selecting the proper wheel for your floor -- whether it's asphalt or linoleum -- and combining it with the right size (diameter) and weight (load) capacity is another important choice.
The Conditions means environments that might affect
the performance of the caster and/or wheel -- such as dirt,
water, cold, heat, oil, acids, metal scraps, wood shavings
or (gasp!) shag carpeting. Any of these elements
(and more) need to be considered when selecting the appropriate
caster and wheel combination.
|
