Fixed caster, wheel diameter 20 mm, hard wheel in solid PP, 65 kg load capacity

Small, discreet and easy to replace: a furniture roller with a 20 mm wheel diameter for furniture, fittings and lighter equipment that has to be pushed out of the way. The wheel is entirely in polypropylene (PP), both tread and hub, and handles a static load of 65 kg; when rolling at walking pace the permitted load is 50 kg per roller.

Polypropylene is a practical choice of material for this type of roller. It takes damp without swelling or rusting, it handles cleaning agents and it is light; the whole roller weighs 0.07 kg. The surface hardness of 65 Shore D means a hard wheel that rolls easily on rugs and textile floors, where soft wheels sink in and brake. On hard floors such as parquet and tile the run gets harder instead, and on sensitive wooden floors it is wise to try it on an out of the way spot first.

The wheel width is 24 mm, which gives a wide contact surface in relation to the diameter and helps to spread the load. The bearing is a plain axle without separate bearing parts; on a furniture roller in this format that is the right level, with few parts that can play up and nothing that needs maintenance.

The fastener is a plate that is screwed to the underframe of the furniture. Exact plate dimensions, hole pattern and details of the bracket version are in the manufacturer's data sheet; check the dimensions against your furniture before you order, especially if the roller is to replace an existing one of another make. The color is black, which blends in under most furniture.

The uses are many more than classic furniture. The roller often sits under storage boxes and bed drawers, shop displays and goods racks, flower pedestals, smaller drawer units, speakers and media furniture. In an office setting it is used under movable storage modules; in a shop under display tables that are rolled out at opening. What they have in common is low loads, short movements and a demand that the wheel is neither seen nor heard too much.

The temperature range is -20 °C to +50 °C. That is plenty for indoor use and for unheated storage as well, but polypropylene grows more brittle in the cold; do not expose the roller to impact below freezing. The UV resistance of unpigmented PP is limited, but the black pigment gives a basic protection that is enough for normal indoor use.

For sizing, the same logic applies as for larger wheels: calculate on the real load per roller, not on the total weight of the furniture divided by the number of rollers. A drawer that is loaded unevenly or a person who sits down on one corner of the furniture can put most of the weight on a single roller. The static load capacity of 65 kg leaves room for peaks like that, but margin never hurts.

Mounting in solid wood only calls for a pilot hole and a screw; in particle board and MDF, a pilot hole of the right size also makes a big difference to the pull-out strength. Use screws with a flat bearing surface so the plate seats flat, and tighten crosswise if the plate has more than two holes. A roller that sits crooked is loaded unevenly and wears faster on one edge.

It is worth weighing in future needs already when you choose. If the furniture is later to stand on a rug with a deep pile or be loaded significantly heavier, a step up in wheel diameter is cheap insurance, since larger wheels roll more easily in almost every situation. Measure the space under the furniture before you decide, and you avoid having to change it afterwards.

Do you need more dimensions or drawing material for a fittings project? Contact us.