Anything with moving parts is bound to wear out over time, and casters are no exception. This is especially true if you are using your casters in an extreme environment. High or low temperatures, heavy loads, chemicals and salt spray can all take their toll on the hard working casters that move your equipment. Knowing when to make this replacement can be the difference between having a smooth moving piece of equipment when you need it and having a caster failure that puts your equipment out of commission while you wait for the repair.
That’s why we recommend keeping an eye on some of these cues that may be telling you that it is almost time to think about changing your casters before a problem begins. Knowing beforehand that you will soon need to replace the casters on a cart or truck will give you the time you need to pick out the best replacement alternatives rather than hastily picking out the first casters you come across that may only fail soon after they are installed. Pick the right caster for the job and you will undoubtedly be satisfied with the end result.
Damage of the Caster and Wheels
Damage can come from anywhere, and not just from misuse of the caster itself. It’s true that overloading casters can cause damage and reduce the life of the units, but this can also happen if the caster is hit by an external object or the wheel has become bound by a string or thread and tire-wear has resulted.
Damage can even come from a loose caster fastening, which causes the caster to move in strange and unusual ways that it is not designed for. This caster from Blickle can resist some of this damage by its aluminum wheel design:
- Blickle Series ALBS Pressed Steel Casters: These medium duty casters include brackets made of heavy pressed steel that can be fixed or swiveled. Load capacities range from 230 kg to 600 kg on wheel with a diameter of 80 mm to 200 mm. The ball bearing caster provides very low rolling resistance, high dynamic load capacity and the wheel is non-marking and non-staining. The wheels have a die-cast aluminum centre with a tread of high-quality polyurethane-elastomer Blickle Besthane®.
Corrosion of the Caster Housing or Working Parts
Corrosion can come from many environments, but it is a particular problem when you have a high humidity environment or an environment where your casters are exposed to chemicals that can wear through a finish and even attack the underlying base metals.
When this is the case, it is particularly important to monitor the condition of your casters so that you can react as soon as the problem of corrosion starts. Corrosion is most easily addressed with casters designed for medical use, as these casters receive high temperature cleaning to sterilize against germs. Here is an example:
- 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, and these casters are suitable for cleaning in disinfecting cubicles. The innovative locking mechanism is a positive wheel lock, which is not reliant on friction, engaging the central web of the wheel so that the locking action is not dependent on, tread condition. Casters are 150mm diameter and capacity of 185 kg.
Problem with Maintenance of the Casters
Even if you are properly maintaining your casters, there comes a time when the service life will wane. This can be sooner if the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations have not been properly followed.
Is the grease broken down and firm in the caster so that no more can be added? Has the wheel tightened to the point that it is binding on the forks? Casters can face any number of problems toward the end of their lifespan.
If you are replacing a caster, especially if it has been troublesome to perform the regular maintenance in a timely fashion, you may want to consider a maintenance free caster option like this one below:
- Colson Evolution Maintenance Free Casters for Towed Applications: This specialty caster from Colson comes in capacities ranging from 500 pounds to 1400 pounds. The zinc plated finish is designed for dynamic towing applications with a maintenance-free precision swivel raceway and steel top plate for maximum durability, so there is no need to grease the wheels. All wheel options are 8” diameter and 2” wide with material option including Performa rubber, Mold-on rubber, Polyolefin, Polyurethane HI-TECH, Endure Solid Elastomer and cast iron.
The Best Service When Buying New or Replacement Casters
If you are buying new casters for a specific task or buying replacement casters for casters that have worn out, you will want to make sure you make the best choice. There is no sense buying low quality casters now that will just need to be replaced in a short time because they were unsuited for the job. Picking out the perfect caster for our application is where the professionals at Douglas Equipment can help.
Douglas Equipment has been in the business of quality casters and material handling equipment since 1955 and our dedicated service team is second to none in being able to identify the right caster for the task at hand. We are confident that we can help you find the right type of caster at a price that is affordable, and from our location in South Florida we can easily service the entire United States, and we can also quickly ship products to South America and the Caribbean as well.
If you are local to Miami you can call us at 305-888-3700, and national customers can call us toll free at 800-451-0030. If you would prefer to contact us through email we can be contacted through our online form and one of our service team members will get back to you as soon as possible with the answers you need. We look forward to a long-term business relationship with your company.
