Swivel caster with PP hub and TPE tread, mounted with top plate, 400 kg

Swivel caster in TPE with PP hub

This is a swiveling caster with a running surface in TPE and a hub in PP, built for easy maneuvering indoors where you need to get around corners and back up without the wheel fighting you. TPE is a thermoplastic elastomer with a hardness of 85 Shore A, a material soft enough to run quietly and at the same time hold its shape under daily use. The gray tread is non-marking, so it leaves no black streaks behind on light floors.

The softness of the tread shows in how the caster rolls. TPE lays itself lightly against the surface and damps the small shocks from joints and unevenness, which keeps both noise and vibration down. The rolling resistance is somewhat higher than on a hard plastic wheel, but in return you get quieter and more comfortable work. With many starts and stops, for example at a packing station or a serving cart, that is a reasonable trade.

Compared with a hard wheel in nylon, TPE does not roll as easily and does not carry as much, but it is considerably kinder to the floor and runs more quietly. If you choose a very soft rubber wheel instead you get even more damping, but then the load capacity drops and the rolling resistance rises further. TPE lands in between: soft enough to be quiet and floor friendly, firm enough to run easily on a level floor.

The hub in PP makes the caster light and indifferent to moisture, and it does not rust. Inside the hub sits a ball bearing that gives an even run and keeps the rolling resistance down, so the wheel turns smoothly even after a while in use. The combination of a light hub and a ball bearing suits equipment that is moved often by hand.

The wheel has a diameter of 50 mm and carries up to 150 kg. The small diameter keeps the overall height down, which is practical under boxes, crates and low carts where every centimeter counts. As a swivel caster the bracket turns freely through 360 degrees, so you steer easily in tight aisles and around workbenches. The caster is mounted with a top plate, a four hole plate that is screwed onto the underframe and gives a steady mounting.

Where does it fit? A swivel caster in TPE with a PP hub often sits under equipment carts, serving carts, picking carts and lighter work tables. The non-marking tread makes it a good choice in settings with light floors, such as offices, shops, healthcare and light workshop work. Since the caster is light and quiet it does not disturb in premises where people move close by.

Think about the operating environment. TPE is happiest at normal indoor temperature and in dry to slightly damp spaces. The material is not made for heavy industrial loads or for outdoor use on coarse asphalt, and for really high weights you should choose a wheel with a larger diameter and a stiffer hub. Within its own range, light to medium heavy load on an even indoor floor, it does a reliable job day after day.

Do you want to know whether 50 mm and 125 kg is enough for your cart, or whether you need something that carries more? Get in touch and we will go through the load and the floor together.