Pneumatic caster in fixed bracket with PP hub, mounted with top plate

Pneumatic caster in a fixed bracket with PP hub

This is a pneumatic caster in a fixed bracket with a tread in air filled rubber and a hub in PP, built for transport where the ground is uneven and the goods need to be spared. The tread is a pneumatic rubber tire with a hardness around 65 degrees Shore A. The air in the tire works as a spring; the wheel sinks in slightly under load and lays itself softly against the ground, which damps shocks and keeps the shaking in the goods down.

Rolling softly does not mean the wheel is sluggish on the right surface. A pneumatic tire rolls easily over gravel, grass edges and small obstacles because it forms itself to the ground instead of bouncing over it. On a hard and smooth floor indoors the rolling resistance is higher than on a solid wheel, so pneumatic rubber comes into its own outdoors and on rough ground. The air pressure needs to be checked at regular intervals; an underinflated tire rolls heavily and wears faster.

A short comparison helps you choose right. A harder solid wheel in nylon rolls most easily on a level concrete floor and takes high point load, but it passes every bump straight up into the cart and is noisy. This pneumatic caster does the opposite: it gives up some rolling resistance on a smooth floor in exchange for swallowing bumps and vibration out in the terrain. Choose the surface right and it rolls softly and quietly.

The hub in PP is light and corrosion free and holds the tire in place. In the hub sits a roller bearing, which takes up high radial load and gives a stable run even when the wheel rolls long distances under load. The series carries up to 100 kg per wheel, which is enough for lighter transport carts and hand tools.

The wheels come in diameters from 200 to 260 mm. A larger diameter rolls more easily over thresholds, cable ducts and uneven ground and lowers the rolling resistance, while a smaller one keeps the overall height down. The wheel sits in a fixed bracket, which makes it roll straight ahead and gives good directional stability; it suits the front of a cart or where the track is to be held. The bracket is mounted with a top plate and four screw holes against a flat fastening.

Where does it fit? Pneumatic casters with a fixed bracket often sit under hand trucks, flatbed carts, garden carts and lighter material carts that are run both inside and out. The springy tread makes it a good choice on asphalt with joints, packed gravel, tiles with grout lines and paved yards, where a hard wheel would otherwise shake the goods.

Think about the operating environment. Pneumatic tires are happiest at normal temperature and take wet, but they need the right air pressure to carry fully and they can be punctured by sharp objects just like any tire. If the wheel stands still for a long time at full pressure it holds its shape better than a solid elastic wheel. Check the pressure at regular intervals and the tread lasts longer and the rolling resistance stays down.

Do you want to know which diameter suits your cart and your surface? Get in touch and we will go through the load, the ground and the air pressure together.