Whenever one starts to choose casters required for the industrial application, there’re series of some important items that must be considered just to assure that casters will withstand strenuous features of the application. The purpose of this article is not to cover details of this process of specifying the casters but to point out a few items that must be considered before buying these items. The industrial casters and wheels that are rightly specified must provide the extended life with very minimal maintenance or upkeep.
Right Sizing of Swivel Section
Swivel section is generally made from yoke and top plate. This top plate connects caster to a cart and other equipment piece. Yoke base is actually where legs that have wheel are attached. Interface between top plate and yoke base is the collection of the ball bearings, which are arranged in the pre-determined radius.
Circumference of radius or size of ball bearings is reflective of weight carrying ability of specific swivel section. Over low end of industrial range that balls are normally 0.125″ in the diameter whereas diameter of race method is normally 3″ On a high end, ball size normally is 0.625 as well as diameter of raceway is also expected to come in a range of 6 to 8″.
Hot Forged and Cold Stamped
Next consideration is linked with swivel section. There’re two essential processes in which swivel sections are made, and one being the cold stamped or other being the hot forged. The cold stamping, you may imagine, is the inexpensive way to form metal. And this process is generally limited by thickness of a material.
In manufacture of the industrial caster, the cold stamping is normally restricted to 0.25 of steel plate. The hot forging is expensive process as well as creates the better finished product. The hot forging can be used for thicker steel plate normally in a range of 0.875 inch thick. The hot forging of the steel produces the product with highest physical elements for the use in the industrial caster application.
Leg Thickness & Width
When you have specified appropriate size of swivel section then next consideration will be its leg size. While considering the leg size one should consider thickness of material that leg is made from and width of a leg. In dynamic application leg can get affected by 3 important factors:
- Width of leg can directly affect amount of the force caster can take in the trailing position.
- Thickness of leg can directly affect amount of the side thrust that caster can withstand
- In static loading environment width and thickness of leg supports the load.
