The aerospace industry has a variety of unique requirements for tools and equipment, especially in highly controlled cleanroom environments. When you need to control the number of particles that are in the air you can’t have equipment that sheds material and causes problems. However, you still need carts and equipment that will roll into place on casters that are designed for the job. This is where casters designed for aerospace applications are most needed.
Information Regarding Aerospace Safe Casters
The aerospace industry requires cleanliness above all else. Therefore, the key to aerospace safe casters is to choose materials that will not cause particulate to migrate into small gaps and cause potential problems. Some wheel materials that are ideal for this application are Polyurethane, Phenolic, cast iron and steel. These are very durable materials that will not cause a problem in a cleanroom environment.
However, the aerospace industry often needs extremely heavy-duty casters. When you are trying to move a jet engine on a cart, or move a satellite into a chamber for thermal cycling, you simply can’t rely on small and flimsy casters. Only the most robust and rugged casters will do to avoid catastrophic caster failure.
What Are Some Casters Used in The Aerospace Industry?
Casters used in the aerospace industry can also be used in a variety of other similar applications. Many of these casters are also used in automotive plants, steel mills and shipbuilding industries where you also need extremely heavy-duty casters that will likely see extreme conditions.
While many different casters could meet the needs of the aerospace industry, our team at Douglas Equipment primarily works with three companies that manufacture heavy-duty castersthat are used heavily in the aerospace industry. These manufacturers are Albion, Caster Concepts and Hamilton, and some of their aerospace casters include:
- Albion BBL Super Duty Casters: These casters are precision machined and heat treated to provide long life and a great load capacity with a ball load swivel for excellent motion. A 1” solid axle with lock nuts helps provide exceptional strength and a king bolt with an integrally forged top plate ensures maximum strength. Hardened steel balls are used in the swivel to prevent wear and brinelling. Brake options include a poly cam, single-side or double-side brake, face contact brake, wrap around brake, welded swivel lock and hand operated swivel lock. Capacities range from 900 – 5,000 lbs. depending on the wheel material and bearings, and the wheel material options include: Moldon rubber on cast iron, Polyurethane on cast iron, Polyurethane on aluminum, laminated Phenolic, Drop forge steel, and ductile iron crowned tread with wheel sizes of 6”, 8”, 10” and 12” depending on the wheel material.
- Caster Concepts 85 Series Extra Heavy Duty: With load capacities from 825 – 10,000 lbs. these casters are built to last. Using a tapered load bearing and thrust bearing creates a swivel action that has excellent precision, while still carrying a high load. For added strength and longevity, an integral forged kingpin and slotted adjustment nut are used in the swivel action. This design is ideal for applications where you need a high load but also need a lower profile than many casters would give in order to avoid tipping of the load. Wheel materials include Polyurethane, laminated Phenolic, H.D. T/R Polyurethane, Forged steel and cast iron and wheel sizes are 6”, 8”, 10” and 12”.
- Hamilton Series MD Precision Maxi-Duty Casters: This caster uses the Hamilton Precision Integrated HPI swivel technology, which provides an improved bearing element contact with more than double the contact points of a standard swivel bearing. This helps to outperform a conventional CNC-machined swivel for smoothness and load bearing capability. Load capacities range from a hefty 3,000 lbs. to an incredible 23,000 pounds per caster, and wheel sizes are 6”, 8”, 10”, 12” and 16”. Brake choices include a maxi-duty thumb screw brake or a maxi-duty contact brake. Wheel materials include Duralast, Forged steel, Mylast, Superlast, V-grooved and Super Ultralast.
At Douglas We Work With Top Caster Manufacturers
No matter your unique need, the team at Douglas Equipment is confident that we can find a caster that will work for you. By offering products from over a dozen different manufacturers, we are confident that we will find the right product for your unique situation, no matter how unusual your requirements may be.
Because of our strength in the marketplace, we’re also able to work with our suppliers to design a custom caster that meets your needs if necessary. We understand that every scenario is different and we want our clients to look to us for even the most complicated caster applications.
Casters for Any Industry – Look to The Team at Douglas Equipment
Since 1955 Douglas Equipment has worked with individuals around the world like you to find the right caster to perform all sorts of unique tasks. By identifying all of the specific requirements you have for your caster needs, we can make sure that we’re recommending the best caster at a price that is within your budget. This level of expertise is critical to ensure you don’t purchase a caster that may not work in your facility for any number of reasons.
If you are local to South Florida we can be reached locally at 305-888-3700, and national customers can always call us toll free at 1-800-451-0030. From our location we’re able to supply casters throughout the United States and also ship to South America and the Caribbean as well.
Should you rather reach out to us online, simply fill out our online contact form and one of our dedicated team members will reply with the details that you need. We look forward to having the opportunity to work with you soon
