Moving anything in your warehouse is guaranteed to simplify any process. Nothing has been tried and true like the good old-fashion wheel. While no one is certainly trying to re-invent it, Douglas Equipment understands that you can definitely improve on it. And that’s what Shepherd Casters has proven to do for over 70 years.
Shepherd Casters has been producing casters since 1945. Throughout that time, Shepherd has dedicated itself to increasing the ease of mobility for their clients who work in a wide range of industries from commercial, residential, and even medical. One of the valuable lessons that Shepherd has learned throughout the years is that there is no such thing as one universal caster for all jobs. It’s about finding the right caster for your unique job demands.
What Do You Need?
Also, as preferences grew, the look of the caster became a concern. This has everything to do with what kind of ambiance you want your warehouse to have. If your warehouse is managed as more of a behind-the-scenes kind of operation, then the look of your caster probably won’t be much of a concern for you.
However, if you manage the type of warehouse where clients are visiting your operations on a frequent basis, it might be worth considering some better-looking casters. Most warehouse managers might not care, but for those who are working in the medical industry, looks can have everything to do with having the appearance of looking sterile. Again, it’s all about what you need to improve your warehouse’s efficiency, and what that entails is entirely up to you as a manager.
What Are Your Choices for Choosing the Right Caster?
If you’re not educated about the different types of casters, then at first glance you might think that any one will do—and for the most part you might be right—until one of your employees tries to move the wrong thing. Then you’ll find out real quick that when you shop for your replacement caster, that’s it’s in your company’s best interest to take a little time to explore your options.
Where Can You Shop for the Right Caster?
Douglas Equipment is the leading provider of material handling equipment. Shepherd casters is one of our top sellers for warehouse managers who are looking to improve their material handling efficiency. Knowing what you need to move plays a crucial role in choosing the right type of caster for your warehouse tasks.
Moving Heavy Items
If you’re moving relatively heavy items on a hard surface, you’ve got plenty of options, but to keep things simple, Shepherd’s General Duty Series is a great place to start exploring your options.
- Swivel Top Plate Models – This particular model comes in a wheel diameter that ranges from 2” to 4”. They all have a thread width of 13/16”. Each of these casters hold 80 to 120 lbs. with a mounting height that ranges from 2 5/8” to 3 ½”. The special feature about this caster is that it has a swivel motion that allows you to easily pivot your items at any degree. You have the choice of selecting soft rubber, hard rubber, polyolefin, or steel as your caster material. All casters except the steel come with a brake option.
- Rigid Top Plate Models – The rigid top plate model has the same specs as the Swivel Top Plate model. The only difference here is that this caster doesn’t offer the swivel motion. If you’re transporting items from a place that doesn’t require many twist and turns, then this is the caster for you.
If you’re in the business of hauling some seriously heavy items around and about your warehouse, then Douglas Equipment strongly recommends that you take a look at the Heavy Duty Institutional Series.
- Threaded Stem Models – With the Threaded Stem Model, you’re able to connect the caster to the platform of your moving cart a little better that you might be able to with a top plate caster. With this model, part of the caster is embedded into the platform. These casters come in Phenolic, TPU, and TPR. However, the main feature with these casters is that they’re able to hold anywhere from 250 to 400 lbs. per caster with a nylon or roller bearing type. This model has a swivel radius that is absolutely necessary when pivoting overbearing loads around a warehouse.
- Swivel Top Plate Model – The Swivel Plate Model here is very similar to the Threaded Stem Model, except here you’ll have to connect the top plate to the transporting cart. Each top plate has either a 3/8” or 5/16” hold for easy mounting. The benefit to this particular model is that the plates provide a bit of a platform for the base of the cart to attach to.
- Rigid Top Plate Models – The Rigid Top Plate Model can hold as much weight as the Swivel and the Threaded Stem Model, but it doesn’t offer the flexibility of being able to make sharp turns within your warehouse. It’s very much like the General Duty Rigid Top Plate Model, it just holds a lot more!
The General Duty and Heavy Duty Institutional Series work perfectly well for hospital equipment, utility cares, warehouses, institutional equipment, office equipment and food service. But for other warehouse operations that involve glass, you should know that there are casters for such applications as well. Shepherd designs casters that are specially crafted to protect your caster against debris without marking up your floors.
- Glass-Handling Caster – The Glass-Handling caster has a ball bearing that provides warehouse workers easy rollablity. It has a zinc finish with a neoprene thread and has a swivel radius of 2 9/16” with a diameter of 2”.
This is just a few of the many options that Douglas Equipment can offer you through the Shepherd Series. Call us today so that we can inform you about all of the range of casters that apply to many different applications for different industries. If you’re local to Miami, Florida, call us at 305-888-3700. You can also call us toll free at 1-800-451-0030 or reach us through our online form here.
