Delicate payloads require special care, and that means that the equipment used to move the payloads around should not just be anything. For delicate loads, moving equipment with specialized casters may be required to ensure a safe and secure move without damage to the payload. However, even saying this does not mean that every caster for delicate payloads is suitable for every delicate payload. Here are a few different payloads with different needs in addition to some casters that you might consider if this is what your delicate payload requires.
Medical Casters for Delicate Payloads
When moving loads around in the hospital, there can be many delicate loads that have different needs. You may need to move a hospital bed or stretcher with a sick patient quickly and smoothly. You may also need to transport medical monitoring equipment, or an IV stand to bring aid to a patient quickly and efficiently.
To make things more complicated, some of these medical carts will need to be placed in disinfecting cabinets for extreme cleaning, so the caster will need to be able to deal with the punishing environments associated with this cleaning regime. Here are a few casters specially designed for different medical applications:
- Rhombus 380 Medical Equipment Caster: With a plastic housing of polyamide white and precision ball bearings in the fork head, these casters are rust free and easy rolling. The caster includes an integrated selection mechanism with total locking brake and directional brake, and the selection mechanism is continually greased in this design. Recommended applications include care beds, hospital beds, intensive care beds, and OP beds. All of these casters are suitable for cleaning in disinfecting cubicles. The innovative locking mechanism is a positive wheel lock that is not reliant on friction or engaging the central web of the wheel so that the locking action is not dependent on tread condition. Casters are 150mm in diameter and have a capacity of 185 kg.
- Medcaster Next Generation Nylon (NG): These maintenance free, sealed precision bearing casters are smooth and quiet for use on food service equipment, case carts, utility carts, medical equipment, hospital carts and institutional equipment. The top plate is zinc plated and the wheels have a recessed axle with plastic covers for a clean look. The casters come with total lock brakes to hold both the swivel and the wheel easily. Wheel materials are quikStart TPR and anti-microbial TPR. Wheel diameters are 3”, 4”, 5” and 6” with capacities of 200 pounds, 275 pounds, 260 pounds and 300 pounds respectively.
Sensitive Electronics: Grounding to Prevent Static Electricity Damage
Uncontrolled static electricity is the bane of the electronics industry. When static electricity builds up, it can cause damage to electronic equipment in the order of several thousand volts. This is why one of the biggest uses of conductive casters is for electronic equipment. To prevent sensitive equipment malfunction, either temporarily or permanently from causing costly repairs or replacement of electronics, it is often best to protect against the build up of static electricity with grounding of your equipment racks and carts.
Conductive casters allow any static electric charge that could build up on a cart or piece of equipment to be dispelled to the ground. In this way, you do not have to worry about static electricity building up on your equipment and carts.
- Rhombus 380 Series: The electrically conductive Rhombus 380 series won a Red Dot design award for its style and function. These casters have a positive wheel lock that holds the central web of the wheel and is not reliant on friction. This is because the locking action does not depend on the tire condition since the lock does not hold against the running surface of the wheel. Wheel diameters are 150 mm with a 120 kg capacity.
- Jarvis W13 Series: The Jarvis design features heavy gauge cold round steel formed for strength and a bright zinc plated finish to resist rust and corrosion. The conductive model has a 5” wheels with 150-pound capacity. The swivel construction includes a double ball bearing with hardened raceway. Both Posiloc and Vertiloc brakes are available on these units.
- Blickle light duty TPA series: This series of high quality and impact resistant polypropylene wheeled casters has an electrically conductive, non-marking grey option available. The treads are chemically bonded for greater durability and wheel diameters are 50 – 200 mm with capacities of between 50 and 250 kg.
- Colson 3 series: These casters come standard with a zinc-plated finish for durability and good looks. The Colson 3 series has an option for a grey non-marking performa rubber thermoplastic elastomer tread bonded to a polyolefin core with the core ribbed for added strength. A full double ball hardened raceway ensures better performance from the bearings and greater durability. Mounting options are a round or square stem with wheel sizes of 4”, 5” or 6” and capacity up to 300 pounds each.
Your One Stop Shop for Delicate Payload Casters
There are different needs for delicate loads, and many different caster suppliers who meet some of these needs, but not every manufacturer will necessarily have a caster for every situation. That is why at Douglas Equipment we deal with over a dozen different caster manufacturers. This variety of manufacturers allows us to match just the right caster to the unique needs of each customer.
Douglas Equipment has been in the business of quality casters and material handling equipment since 1955. In that time, our dedicated team of service professionals has learned a thing or two about which caster is best suited for different situations. We are confident that we can help you find the right type of caster at a price that is within your budget.
We can easily be contacted online where one of our team members will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are local to Miami, you can also call us at 305-888-3700, and national customers can call us toll free at 800-451-0030. Call us with any special caster needs and we will do our best to offer advice on the right caster for your unique application.
