Moving services can be invaluable when you want to easily move the contents of a house or office, but performing this work day after day can be a lot of strenuous work for the employees of the moving service. Moving something as heavy as a piano across a floor without the right equipment is challenging, even for very strong individuals. This is why something as simple as a wheeled cart can greatly increase the efficiency and safety of moving by making this tough job much easier to perform.
How to Design a Cart for Moving Services
At the most basic level a cart is a platform with casters on the bottom that allows you to place objects onto the cart and easily roll them from one place to another. While you can buy ready-made carts for this sort of purpose, you can also create a cart for your own purpose that’s built to your own specifications. In order to do this there are a few simple things you need to consider.
- How big do I need to make my platform? While a platform can be any size, the size you will want depends on the application of the cart. If you need to fit through doors this will limit the width of the platform. The material you use to make your platform will also determine how large the platform can be. For instance, if you have too much distance from one caster to the other on a wooden platform the wood can break under a heavy load, however, this might be easier when using a steel platform.
- How many casters will you want under your platform? There are many different configurations that your casters can form under your platform. While it is common to have four casters, one on each corner, other carts will have six casters to more evenly distribute the weight on a longer platform and allow for better maneuverability.
- What types of casters do you want, fixed or swivel? While swivel casters make it easier to maneuver your loaded cart, fixed casters will make it easier to keep in a straight line and avoid hitting walls. It is often a mix of caster types that are used in order to get both benefits, such as fixed on one end and swivel on the other, or fixed in the platform center with swivel on the four corners (with six casters).
- Do you need to add a handle or other additional fixtures to hold items on the cart? While many carts are simple platforms with casters, others incorporate a handle for better steering of heavy loads or even sides to help hold objects like boxes on the cart as it moves. This becomes especially helpful if you are moving along a slight grade where one side of the cart will be lower than the other and could cause slippage of the objects on the cart.
What Size Casters Should You Have on a Moving Services Cart?
The size of your caster is greatly dependent on the weight you intend to move on your cart. If you are using a cart to move small boxes of books or household items, then you can easily reduce the weight and use smaller casters with a lower maximum capacity. For heavier objects like a piano or large office cabinets, then you will likely need heavy-duty casters to support the weight. It is important to remember that casters with larger wheels, although they will roll more easily, can lead to tipping concerns so keep this in mind when choosing casters.
It is also important to remember that the maximum weight limit of the cart is distributed across all of the casters. So if you have four casters on your cart they will be taking one quarter of the total weight on each caster. With a cart of six casters you will have one sixth of the total weight per caster, giving you a much larger maximum weight for the total cart if necessary. Here are some medium and heavy-duty casters:
- Colson 6 Series Enforcer: These medium-duty casters have an attractive zinc finish that is durable and strong. To eliminate swivel section failure due to shock and kingpin stretching, this design is made kingpinless. Wheels are available in diameters of 4”, 5”, 6” and 8”. Wheel material options include polyolefin, Performa rubber, cast iron, mold-on rubber, mold-on nylon, Polyurethane HI-TECH, Phenolic and Thermo High Temperature. Caster capacities range from 300 – 1,500 lbs. to suit any medium duty needs you may have.
- Strong Man TSH: This caster from Rhombus is designed with a heavy steel welded construction and includes a special turntable that features a pressed ball track to provide easy maneuverability of the swivel action. Also included for easy rolling are tapered roller bearings that are grease filled and a grease nipple in the fork head for maintenance. These are absolutely the master in their class for quality of materials and processing. The caster is zinc passivated for durability and will easily carry a load capacity of 1,400 Kg.
The Right Advice When Choosing Casters for Your Needs
If you are looking for the optimal casters to improve the function of your moving services, then you need look no further than the knowledgeable team at Douglas Equipment. We have been helping people just like you find the right casters for their unique needs since 1955.
If you are ready to find out how you can use casters to improve your moving services, call and talk to one of our service professionals at anytime. If you are local to Miami you can call us at 305-888-3700, and national customers can call us toll free at 1-800-451-0030. We can also be contacted online. One of our exceptional service team members will get back to you right away with the information you need to choose the right casters for your moving service. We look forward to working with you soon. Call us today!
