Swivel caster with directional lock, PP hub and rubber tread, mounted with top plate, 400 kg

Wheel in a swivel bracket with rubber tread and hub in polypropylene

This is a swivel caster with a tread in rubber and a hub in PP, built for light to medium heavy transport indoors where the swiveling is the important part. The swivel bracket turns freely 360 degrees, so the cart follows the hand in tight aisles and at frequent changes of direction. The rubber tread has a hardness of around 80 Shore A, which makes it soft enough to lay itself against the floor and damp both noise and vibration when the wheel rolls.

Soft rubber gives a good grip and a quiet run, and it takes up small unevenness and joints without punching through to the load. The rolling resistance is higher than on a hard plastic wheel; a soft material is compressed a little under load and takes slightly more force at the start. It is a reasonable compromise when you want to spare the floor and keep the noise down. If you instead want the lowest possible rolling resistance and the highest load capacity you have to choose a hard wheel, but then you lose the damping and risk scratching sensitive surfaces.

The hub in polypropylene keeps the wheel light and free from corrosion, which is noticeable when you maneuver the cart by hand and want a low dead weight. In the hub sits a plain bearing, a simple and maintenance free solution that takes dust and moisture and rolls evenly in the load the series is made for. The plain bearing gives somewhat higher rolling resistance than a ball bearing, but needs no supervision and fits well in an environment where the wheel is exposed to dirt.

The wheel has a diameter of 80 mm, a handy size that keeps the overall height down on carts and tables while it rolls calmly over ordinary floors. The load capacity is up to 100 kg per wheel, so four wheels carry a good part of the load on a typical transport cart. Mounting is by top plate, a four-hole plate that is screwed against a flat surface and gives a stable fastener that stands the twisting forces a swivel bracket is exposed to.

Where does it fit? A rubber covered swivel caster of this type often sits under serving carts, picking carts, shelf carts and lighter machine underframes. The quiet run makes it a good choice in shops, in offices, in healthcare environments and in workshops where you want to keep the noise level down. The grip helps on painted concrete and tiles, and the swiveling makes it easy to shunt the cart in a small space.

Think about the operating environment. Rubber is happy at normal indoor temperature and in dry to slightly damp spaces. Dark rubber can leave marks on light floors, something to weigh in on really sensitive surfaces. 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 soft materials. Since the bracket has no brake the wheel rolls freely, so a braked wheel in the same series may be needed where the cart is to stand still on a slope.

Are you unsure whether the diameter and the load capacity are enough for your cart? Get in touch and we will go through the load and the surface together and find the right set.