Loose wheel with PA6 hub and PUR tread

Loose wheel in PUR with hub in PA6

This is a loose wheel with a tread in polyurethane and a hub in nylon, built for demanding internal transport. The hardness of the tread sits at 98 degrees Shore A, a firm polyurethane that puts load capacity and wear strength ahead of soft cushioning. The series spans wide in both size and bearing, so the same basic design covers everything from light carts to heavy underframes.

At 98 Shore A the tread is hard enough to roll with low rolling resistance and stand up to big loads without being squashed, but it keeps the advantages polyurethane has over steel and hard plastic: it is gentler on the floor, it does not raise as much noise and it grips better. Cast PUR takes abrasion well and resists most of the oils, greases and mild chemicals in a workshop. The hard tread gets going easily and holds its speed, which shows with many starts and stops on a picking line or in a transport chain.

A comparison puts the material in context. Against a softer polyurethane or rubber wheel this tread carries more, rolls more easily and deforms less under load, but it does not damp shocks and vibration as well. Against a plain nylon or steel wheel, 98 Shore A is almost as load-capable but clearly kinder to both floors and ears. That makes the wheel a work wheel for heavy loads on hard, even floors.

The hub is cast in PA6, a light and corrosion-free nylon that gives a stiff body and holds its shape even under high weight. The series comes with several bearing types so the wheel can be matched to the load: a plain bearing is simple and maintenance-free and takes dirt and wet but gives slightly higher rolling resistance, a ball bearing gives low friction and a smooth run, double ball bearings spread the load over two rows of balls for a steady run under heavy load, and a roller bearing takes very high radial loads. You pick the bearing according to how heavy and how often the wheel is to roll.

The wheels come in diameters from 80 to 250 mm and handle load capacities up to 750 kg per wheel. 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 space is tight. Since this is a loose wheel it is supplied without a bracket and mounted straight onto its own axle through the hub, which makes it easy to build into gantries, racks and your own underframes.

Where does it fit? PUR at 98 Shore A with a PA6 hub sits under heavy transport carts, manual trucks, machine underframes and stands in industry and warehousing. The high load capacity and the wide span of diameters make the series a choice when the load is high but the floor is even and hard. The corrosion-free hub also takes damp spaces.

Think about the operating environment. Polyurethane is happy in dry to slightly damp indoor surroundings and at normal temperature. 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. For a really uneven floor or bumpy running, a softer and more forgiving wheel is a better choice.

Do you want help matching diameter, bearing type and load capacity against your load and how often the cart rolls? Get in touch and we will go through it together.