Top Mobility
Ball casters are designed to offer the greatest mobility. Because of their spherical shape and the housing construction they have full, multi-directional movement capabilities allowing for greater movement options. In today’s fast paced world, this can be of great benefit in a variety of work, home and business environments. Additionally, ball casters offer an interesting duality; they are both extremely functional as well as aesthetically pleasing, making them very useful in certain environments where appearance is of great importance.
Design Options
With increased need and usability, over the years, more options have become available. In casters in general there is a plethora of different design options. And it is easy to see the number of possibilities by taking a look at the possibilities available within one category. For example, Shepherd Casters manufactures Baron casters, a line of ball casters. They come in four different models, each with a different attachment method. The categories are Baron threaded stem models, Baron grip ring stem models, Baron grip neck stem models and Baron swivel top plate models.
Ball Material and Size Offerings
Within each model there are two different wheel size and material options. And each one is available with different metal finishes for the hooded wheel covering. This aspect offers a different visual appearance and therefore can be matched to different decorative settings. The ball is available in a spherical soft rubber, sized 1-5/8”. The hood covering comes in metalized brass and Windsor antique. The ball is also available in a spherical polyolefin sized 2”. The hood covering comes in metalized brass and Windsor antique and bright chrome.
A Favored Choice
The Baron Series made by Shepherd is a popular favorite and has been for many years. It is especially favored amongst furniture and seating manufacturers. The special spherical, hooded offers many benefits. With the variety of options in decorative finishes, this ball caster series allows you to combine the functionality of your furniture with visual and decorative consistency. It will add a clean appearance to any piece of furniture and maintain a streamline look. An additional benefit to the Baron line is that it is manufactured in the US, offering a level of quality craftsmanship that can be trusted.
Other Features
In addition to the hooded design, some of the other specific features that make the Baron series a favorite include: dual ball bearing raceway construction, heat treated for additional durability (on the 2” model), and installation ease due to octagon washer (on the threaded stem models). Due to the variety of attachment methods, they can be used for any number of different types of furniture and equipment in medical and business offices and home uses. An additional option that may be useful for certain applications is the ability to have RoHS compliant plating, made upon special request.
Noting the Options
As can be seen in the one category of Baron ball casters there are many, many possible options from the simple variety of caster design options. It is possible that ball casters are the perfect match for your caster needs. However, it is also possible, that in the observation of options and increased knowledge of caster varieties that you may find another suitable option.
Getting to Know the Other Options
Generally speaking, casters are available in different categories based on the weight load bearing capacity. Within each category there are many different options available in the mechanism by which the caster is attached to the item it is making mobile, the type, size and material of the actual wheel, and the finish of the caster housing. There are also options for braking and locking. And in addition to the base models available there are specialty design options within some categories, as well as a whole range of specialty casters that are designed for very specific purposes.
Basic Varieties
Just to get an idea of the many different types and options of casters available, it is useful to consider the basic list of options in certain characteristics. Some basic attachment mechanism options that are available include:
- threaded stem
- square stem
- top plate
- stainless steel
- expanding adapter stem
- grip ring stem
- pipe thread stem
- modular stem
- top plate swivel
- and the kingpinless top plate
Some of the options of available wheel materials include:
- polyolefin
- phenolic
- performa
- performa conductive
- polyurethane Hi-Tech
- cast iron
- maxim
- stainless steel and thermo
Gaining Understanding
When trying to choose the best caster for the specific job that you need to accomplish, it is best to ask a series of simple questions that can aid in determining the exact uses required and the work conditions in which the work will be performed. By asking these questions you will have a full understanding of what you will need the caster to do, how it needs to behave, and therefore be able to match the most appropriate caster to the job. Some possible questions include:
- What needs to be moved?
- Is the item heavy or light?
- Is it shaped in an odd way or unbalanced in any way?
- What is the floor or ground type over which the item needs to be moved?
- Is it indoor, outdoor or a combination of both?
- Will there be a possibility of coming in contact with hazardous materials or liquids?
- How often will the casters be in use?
- How fast will the casters need to move?
- Is it a work environment in which noise level or visual appearance is of great importance and could have a bearing on the quality of business?
Any of these will give a good starting point of correctly matching conditions with the appropriate caster.
In order to help make the choice, after familiarizing yourself with the work conditions and the possible options, it is helpful to enlist the assistance of an expert in the field. We at Douglas Equipment take great pride in our near sixty years in the caster and material handling equipment industry. We would love to assist in helping you find the best caster to match your business’s needs.
Please contact us Toll-free at 1-800-451-0030, locally at 305-888-3700, or by faxing us at 305-883-9563. We can also be reached electronically by contacting us through the Contact Us section on our website. We look forward to hearing from you.
