5 Reasons to get Polyurethane Wheels on your Casters
Let’s start off by discussing what casters are and how they are used. The official definition of a “caster” is a wheeled device typically mounted to a larger object that enables that object to roll relatively easily. Heavy duty casters are often used in an industrial setting, such as in factories or warehouses. You may have seen medium to light duty casters used on everyday items, such as a shopping carts or TV stands.
“What’s the difference between casters and wheels?” you might be wondering. The short answer is that wheels were invented over 5,000 years ago and we’re pretty accustomed to seeing them around, pun intended. The difference between a wheel and a caster is that wheels are part of the caster. A caster includes the wheel, along with a bracket, which is often-times called a “fork.” Casters are more versatile and have only been around for about 150 years.
Casters can be used for many different applications within an industrial setting. There are different types of options and combinations when it comes to choosing the caster material, bearing type, size of the caster and the wheel type. While there are several options on the market, we’re going to explain today while polyurethane is one of the best materials for the wheels on your casters.
Because we like to define everything, here’s the fascinating definition for “polyurethane” - a synthetic resin in which the polymer units are linked by urethane groups, used chiefly as constituents of paints, varnishes, adhesives, and foams. Super scientific, right?
Let’s break it down for you! Here are 5 reasons why polyurethane is one of the best wheel materials for your casters:
1. Floor Protection
Who wants a scratched/scuffed up floor? Not us! Nobody wants to pay extra money to have the floor redone, simply because casters have damaged it. The material of polyurethane will deflect and create a much large footprint than some of its harder wheel counterparts (such as nylon wheels)
2. Less Noisy
Products that protect your employees are hot on the market right now. Everything from ergonomic matting, to sit-to-stand desks, to pallet pals that help prevent work injuries. One injury that can commonly get overlooked is hearing loss. While most companies provide earplugs, they sometimes don’t always do the job. Polyurethane wheels act as a shock absorber and noise levels are dramatically reduced in comparison to steel or cast iron wheels. This will ultimately keep the noise level down and protect your employees’ ears.
3. Higher Load Capacity
In comparison to rubber wheels, polyurethane can withstand a much higher load capacity, which also providing the benefits of rubber wheels (such as noise reduction, shock absorption, and floor protection).
4. High Resiliency
Not only is the tread non-slip, but the caster wheel itself has high resiliency because of the polyurethane material and the way it is designed. Its rebound resilience is higher than that of many other wheel materials, which causes it to be more ergonomic because less force is needed to push/pull the caster, because of its rebound energy.
5. Tread is non-slip
The non-slip tread allows for it to keep towed carts right-side up where sliding can be a problem for harder wheel materials. Because of the good traction, less force is necessary to drive the wheels, reducing the amount of load on the wheel and prolonging the life of the casters. Not only is the tread non-slip, but the caster wheel itself has high resiliency because of the polyurethane material and the way it is designed. Its rebound resilience is higher than that of many other wheel materials, which causes it to be more ergonomic because less force is needed to push/pull the caster, because of its rebound energy.
While there are several options for casters and wheels, polyurethane is a great choice, especially if you work in wet and/or humid environments.
Not all urethane wheels are the same! We are very picky about the quality of products we sell, and we only carry the best wheels and casters on the market. We also offer a four year warranty on all Blickle urethane wheels. For more information about our polyurethane wheels and/or all of our casters and wheels, please contact us at casters@barroneq.com, or give us a call at 1-800-397-6690.