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Archived Tech Tips
Halogen Burnout Problems
Improve a Cart's Rolling Performance?
The major factors in deciding which casters to use are broken down into 4 areas:
Size
Weight Capacity
Tire Material
Bearings
Size
Contrary to belief, size DOES matter. Size and weight capacity are relevant and play the biggest role in reducing or increasing push effort. The initial force required to start a cart rolling is considerably larger than sustaining movement. For example a cart requiring 26 pound's of force to keep rolling requires 46 pounds of force to start rolling.
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Weight Capacity
- 50-150lbs 2"- 4"
- 150-300lbs 3"- 5"
- 300-1000lbs 4"- 8"
The heavier the cart the more effort required to push. The larger the wheel the easier the roll. Here are some wheel size and weight capacities as a guideline:
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Tire Material
Tire material will be based on the type of surface the application is used on. Certain tire materials "suit" environments compared to others, the main three types of tire chooses standard to the industry are:
- TPE/TPR/RUBBER: Soft rubber tire, usually non-marking.
- URATHANE: Either solid urethane or as a tire on a polyprop center. Harder than rubber.
- NYLON/PHENOLIC: Solid nylon type material, very hard and durable.
Rubber tires are soft and offer a quiet roll on hard floors such as polished floor boards, linoleum and tiles. Do not use when traveling through areas which are not clean, i.e. parking lot, where small stones can become embedded in the tire. Newer TPE tires also work well on carpet. Ideal to absorb impacts.
Urethane: Harder roll, works very well on carpet, where some rubber can be "sticky." Performs well on hard floors but can be nosier than rubber. Has a higher weight capacity than rubber as will not flatten out.
Nylon: Hard roll, noisy on hard floors. Heavy weight capacity allowed, works very well on carpet as tires slip on surface. Ideal for industrial areas where flooring not always clean as the hard wheel surface generally does not pick up dirt.
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Bearings
- Plain bush: Economical, good for wet areas
- Roller bearing: Improves rolling for heavy loads
- Ball/Precision bearings: Improves rolling, absorbs impact better than roller
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