Swivel caster with solid PA6 wheel

Caster in a swivel bracket with a solid wheel in PA6, mounted with a bolt hole

This is a swiveling caster where the whole wheel is solid PA6, that is, nylon, mounted with a bolt hole and meant for transport on hard, even floors where low rolling resistance and high wear strength weigh heaviest. The wheel is homogeneous: the same material in the tread and in the core, with a hardness around 75 Shore D, which makes it stiff and dimensionally stable. The swivel bracket turns 360 degrees, so the cart steers easily even though the wheel is hard.

A hard wheel rolls easily. A solid nylon wheel has some of the lowest rolling resistance there is, because the tread barely deforms against the floor. It shows clearly with many starts and stops and with heavy loads: the cart gets going with less force and rolls out further. PA6 also has low friction, handles wear and stands up to moisture and to most chemicals in a workshop, which makes the wheel durable over time.

A comparison helps here. A soft rubber or polyurethane wheel is quieter, grips better and spares the floor, but has higher rolling resistance and carries less. The solid PA6 wheel is the opposite: it rolls the most easily and takes the most, but it makes more noise and can scratch or mark sensitive surfaces, and it does not damp shocks. So it belongs on a smooth, hard floor where the load is heavy and the surface can take it, not on delicate or uneven surfaces.

The bolt hole means that the wheel sits on a through bolt running through the hub of the bracket, a simple and steady fastening. In the hub there can be either a plain bearing or a ball bearing. The plain bearing is maintenance-free and handles dust and wet, while the ball bearing gives lower rolling resistance and a smoother ride; the choice is governed by how often the cart is run and how easily it should roll.

The wheels come in diameters from 40 to 125 mm and handle load capacities up to 140 kg per wheel. A larger diameter rolls more easily over joints and thresholds and lowers the rolling resistance further, while a smaller one keeps the overall height down where space is tight. The swivel caster can be had with a brake: a wheel brake locks the rotation of the wheel, while a total lock brake locks both rotation and swivel so that the cart stands still where it is put.

Where does it fit? The solid PA6 swivel caster sits under transport carts, machine underframes, warehouse carts and equipment that is rolled on concrete, epoxy or steel floors. The low rolling resistance makes it easy to move heavy carts by hand, and the material's resistance to moisture and chemicals suits workshops and industry. Two swivel casters and two fixed casters give a combination that both swivels and runs straight; with brakes on the swivel casters the cart can be secured in place.

Think about the operating environment. PA6 is happy at normal indoor temperature and handles moisture well. The hard wheel does not damp shocks and can be noisy on uneven floors, so on sensitive or uneven surfaces a softer wheel is often better. Do you want to know which diameter, bearing and brake suit your cart and your floor? Get in touch and we will go through the load and the surface together.