Swivel caster with solid heat-resistant phenolic wheel, 400 kg

Swivel caster in heat resistant phenolic, bolt hole

This is a swivel caster with a solid wheel in phenolic, built for transport where the temperature is high and an ordinary rubber or polyurethane wheel is not enough. The wheel is homogeneous, that is in one and the same material all the way through, with no separate tread and hub. The bracket swivels freely 360 degrees, so the cart is easy to steer even though the wheel itself is hard and stiff.

Phenolic is a hard thermoset. It is a stiff and dimensionally stable material that takes high temperatures and heavy load without softening or deforming. The heat resistance is exactly the point of this wheel: it goes in and out of ovens, dryers and hot process rooms where elastomers would melt, get sticky or lose their shape. Since the wheel is solid there is no tread that can come loose or burn off, which is an advantage in heat.

How does a hard wheel roll? A stiff material such as phenolic gives low rolling resistance on an even and hard floor, since the wheel is barely compressed against the surface; it rolls easily once it has got going. The downside is that the hardness transfers shocks and noise up into the goods and that the wheel can knock against joints and scratch sensitive surfaces. A soft rubber wheel is quieter and gentler and takes small bumps better, but it does not stand the heat and carries less. When the heat is the governing factor the hard wheel is the one that does the job; if you need a quiet and floor friendly run at room temperature you choose a soft tread instead.

Inside the wheel sits a plain bearing, which is simple and maintenance free and handles dust, heat and dry environments without lubrication. The plain bearing gives somewhat higher rolling resistance than a ball bearing, but it is insensitive and fits well precisely in hot environments where grease in a ball bearing would otherwise run out.

The wheel has a diameter of 100 mm and handles a load capacity of up to 140 kg per wheel. The diameter rolls steadily over joints and keeps a manageable overall height. The bracket is mounted with a bolt hole, that is a single bolt hole straight through, which gives a simple and steady fastener on the right underframe and makes the wheel easy to change.

Where does it fit? Heat resistant phenolic in a swivel bracket often sits under oven carts, hardening carts, drying carts and transport carts that move in and out of heat processes in bakeries, painting, foundries and the engineering industry. The swivel bracket lets the cart be maneuvered into the right place in front of an oven or in a tight production cell.

Think about the operating environment. Phenolic is made for heat and heavy load on hard, even floors. On uneven or sensitive surfaces the hardness is felt as noise and shocks, and the material is not meant for a soft, quiet run in an office like environment. Check that the temperature of the process lies within what the wheel is specified for.

Do you need to make sure the wheel stands your particular process temperature, or to choose between a bolt hole and a top plate? Get in touch and we will go through temperature, load and mounting together.