Fixed bracket and industrial caster with PP hub and TPE tread, mounted with top plate, 400 kg

Industrial caster in a fixed bracket with TPE tread and PP hub, top plate for heavier loads

This is an industrial caster in a fixed bracket with a running tread in TPE and a hub in polypropylene, mounted with a top plate and sized for a broad span of loads. TPE is a thermoplastic elastomer with a hardness around 85 degrees Shore A, soft enough for a quiet run that spares the floor but firm enough to carry properly. The material is often gray and non-marking and leaves no black streaks on light floors.

What sets this family apart is the span. The wheels come in diameters from 75 all the way up to 200 mm and handle load capacities up to 250 kg per wheel, which makes it the strongest TPE version in the series. The larger diameters with a higher load capacity suit heavier carts and underframes, while the smaller ones cover lighter handling. That means you can keep the same wheel type and appearance across a whole fleet of carts but adapt diameter and load per cart.

The TPE tread damps noise and vibration and rolls softly over joints. What about the starting and rolling resistance? A medium soft material is compressed somewhat against the floor, so it takes a little more force to get the wheel going than with a hard plastic wheel, but in motion the rolling resistance is moderate. Here the diameter matters: a large diameter rolls noticeably more easily over seams and thresholds and lowers the rolling resistance, which is clearly felt at the heavier loads. Compared with a hard nylon wheel, the nylon rolls more easily and carries even more, but it is noisy and can scratch sensitive floors; compared with a soft rubber wheel, the rubber gives a softer run but usually a lower load capacity. TPE places itself where quiet running, clean floors and a solid load capacity have to go together.

The hub in polypropylene is light and corrosion free. Inside the hub sits a plain bearing, simple and maintenance free, that takes dirt and wet without lubrication. The plain bearing gives a somewhat higher rolling resistance than a ball bearing, but it is tough and suits heavy wheels that are run in shorter stages with many starts and stops.

The bracket is fixed, so the wheel rolls straight ahead without swiveling. Fixed wheels give direction and stability and are often fitted in pairs at the rear of a cart while swiveling casters steer at the front. Mounting is done with a top plate, a plate with four screw holes that gives a steady and spread out fastening, which is extra important at the higher loads.

Where does it fit? The TPE wheel with a top plate in this span often sits under heavier transport carts, material carts, pallet carts and underframes in warehouses and industry, where the load is high but the environment clean and indoors. The non-marking material makes it a good choice on light floors, and the high load capacity means the same series can carry everything from a picking cart to a heavy material cart.

Think about the operating environment. TPE is happiest at normal indoor temperature and in dry to slightly damp spaces and is not meant for high temperatures or rough outdoor surfaces. If the caster stands still for a long time under full load, the tread can take a temporary flat spot that rolls out after a while; that is normal for elastic materials, and the risk rises somewhat at the higher loads.

Do you want to know which diameter and load capacity matches your heaviest carts? Get in touch and we will go through the load and the surface together.