Loose wheel with cast iron hub and ElastoPUR tread

Think about the operating environment. Polyurethane is happy at normal indoor temperature and in dry to slightly damp surroundings. If the wheel 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 is nothing wrong with the wheel.

Loose wheel in ElastoPUR with cast iron hub, 83 degrees Shore A

This is a loose wheel with a tread in ElastoPUR and a hub in cast iron, developed for transport where both the floor and the goods need to be spared. The tread is a soft, super elastic polyurethane with a hardness of 83 degrees Shore A. It gives a soft run and settles easily against the floor, which keeps both vibration and noise down as the wheel rolls through the premises.

Soft does not mean sluggish. ElastoPUR has a low rolling resistance in relation to its elasticity, so the wheel gets going without unnecessary force. You notice it over many starts and stops during a working day, for example on a picking cart or on an internal transport route with several stations. The polyurethane takes abrasion well and resists most oils, greases and mild chemicals that belong to a workshop, which keeps the tread in service a long time even in a slightly messy environment.

How does it stand up against the alternatives? A really hard plastic tread in nylon rolls even more easily and carries more, but it is noisy and can scratch sensitive floors. An even softer rubber wheel is quieter on uneven floors but gives way more and rolls a little more sluggishly. ElastoPUR at 83 Shore A lands in a useful middle ground: soft enough to be quiet and kind to the floor, yet stiff enough to roll easily and carry heavy loads.

The hub in cast iron gives the wheel its stiffness; it is the body that carries the load and holds its shape even at high weight. That is why the series handles load capacities up to 1250 kg per wheel. Inside the hub sit double ball bearings that spread the load over two rows of balls and give an even run under heavy load, which also keeps the wheel steady when it rolls through a turn.

The wheels come in diameters from 125 to 300 mm, a wide span that covers everything from compact carts to heavy underframes. A larger diameter rolls more easily over joints and thresholds and lowers the rolling resistance, while a smaller one keeps the overall height down where the space is tight. Since the wheel is supplied without a bracket, it is mounted straight onto an axle of your own through the hub, which is handy when you build your own chassis or replace a worn wheel.

Where does it fit? ElastoPUR with a cast iron hub is a hard-wearing work wheel for indoor use in industry and warehouses. It often sits under transport carts, adjustable tables, machine underframes and manual trucks. The soft tread makes it a good choice on painted or ground concrete and tile, where a harder wheel would easily leave marks or make too much noise.