For heavy industrial environments like warehouses, unique problems arise that are never found in less demanding environments. Industrial casters need to hold up to the wear and tear of the rigors of daily warehouse use, with all the solvents, dirt and grime associated with it, without degrading or wearing excessively.
At Douglas Equipment, we understand the demands that casters face in industrial conditions. We have been in the business of quality casters for over 63 years, and we know which manufacturers and casters perform best in industrial applications.
We carry high quality casters from top brands like Albion, Colson, Shepherd, MedCaster, Jarvis, Pemco, Bestway, Blickle, Darcor, Darnell-Rose, Faultless, Rhombus, Hamilton, Jacob Holtz, Aubin, Durable, Fairbanks, Plastiglide, E R Wagner, R & K, and TREW Industrial. These manufacturers offer thousands of combinations of casters, including industrial casters with brakes, expanding adapter, grip ring, threaded stem, industrial steel casters, swivel casters, and locking casters.
Selecting the Right Industrial Caster to Get the Job Done
While these casters may not be as beautiful as some flashy chair and furniture casters that only see an office environment, they are stylish in their own way while being resistant to the warehouse environment they work in. Here are a few things to consider when choosing an industrial caster for warehouse use.
What capacity caster is needed: light-duty, medium-duty or heavy-duty? What extreme usage will the caster encounter? What type of wheel material is needed for specific flooring conditions: hard or soft? What is the best bearing type and quality for the specific rolling and maneuverability needs? What brand has the best record with similar industrial applications?
The Difference Between Light, Medium and Heavy Duty Casters
One of the most important things to understand is how much weight your casters can handle. Knowing how much weight will be carried can help you choose between light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty casters.
Light-duty casters are typically designed to carry relatively light loads and are typically rated up to 325 pounds.
- Blickle LPA-VSTH-35K High Capacity Low Overall Height Extrathane Caster: This light-duty caster from Blickle is small but mighty; a big mover with a large capacity but has tiny size combining ultra-low overall height. It has a capacity typical of casters two and a half times its size. The wheel is brown polyurethane on steel centre with a precision ball bearing. The height is 52 mm with a load capacity of 220 pounds.
Medium-duty casters are engineered to carry weights from 500 to 1,500 pounds.
- Colson 6 Series Enforcer: These medium-duty casters from Colson come with an attractive and durable zinc finish, as well as the kingpinless swivel design that eliminates swivel section failure due to shock and stretching of the kingpin. Wheel material options include Performa rubber, mold-on rubber, polyolefin, Polyurethane HI-TECH, cast iron, Mold-on Nylon, Phenolic and Thermo High Temperature. This series comes in wheel diameters of 4.
Heavy-duty casters are used to support loads of 2,000-44,000 pounds.
- Albion 90 Series – The Heavy Duty 90 Series is made from AISI 1045 drop forged steel. The 90 series rises to the challenges of rugged heavy duty applications: heavy duty power-drawn equipment, heavy storage racks, work benches, high-capacity die tables, machinery dollies, corrugated steel box trucks, and heavy production fixtures or jigs.
What Extreme Conditions Will Your Casters See?
While it is not necessarily a problem that all warehouses face, there are some extreme environmental conditions that need specially designed casters to take the added abuse. Some of these punishing environments include temperature extremes, high speeds, aggressive chemicals and uneven outdoor terrain. Here are some casters that can handle these environments when other casters could not:
- Colson Kingpinless Enforcer Swivel and Matching Rigid: The Enforcer casters from Colson are extremely temperature resistant. The wheels can be manufactured out of Performa rubber or phenolic resin among other materials that can function within a range of -45 degrees Fahrenheit to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. The grease used to lubricate the caster is multi-temperature grease that is designed for extreme temperatures. It includes a zinc plated finish that is attractive and durable, as well as the kingpinless swivel design that eliminates swivel section failure due to shock and stretching of the kingpin. Wheel material options include Phenolic, Cast Iron, Forged Steel, and Mold-on Rubber, and come in wheel diameters of 6.
- Durable Superior Pneumatic Casters: The Durable Superior 67 Series casters feature dual raceway with enforced legs for the best strength. Available in 6″, 8″, 10″, and 12″ wheel diameters. Load capacity for the 67 Series casters paired with pneumatic wheels ranges from 150 lbs to 500 lbs.
The Best Place to Find Reliable Industrial Casters
There is a lot to consider when you are choosing an industrial caster. And turning to knowledgeable people for the right answers can help. Douglas Equipment has been in the business of quality casters and material handling equipment for over 60 years. We have a knowledgeable and dedicated service team to help you with any questions you may have when it comes to picking the right industrial caster. If you are looking for the perfect industrial caster to suit your needs at a price that is affordable, we are confident that we can help.
If you are ready to find out more about the industrial caster you need for your unique situation, we can be contacted online. And one of our service team members will get back to you as soon as possible to answer all your questions. If you want to talk directly to one of our team members and you are local to Miami, you can call us at 305-888-3700, while national customers can call us toll free at 800-451-0030.
