Tyre for pneumatic wheels

Pneumatic caster in a fixed bracket with rubber tread

This is a pneumatic caster in a fixed bracket with a rubber tread, built for transport that has to run straight and steady over uneven ground. The fixed bracket does not turn, it holds the wheel in the direction of travel, which gives tracking and calm, straight rolling over longer distances. Together with the soft, springy rubber tread the result is a wheel that follows the surface and keeps the load steady.

The rubber tread is soft and yielding and absorbs shocks and vibration before they reach the goods. It grips well and runs quietly, even when the floor is rough or jointed. On loose or uneven ground that is a strength; the wheel swallows small obstacles and does not bounce. The price is slightly higher rolling resistance than a hard wheel, since the soft tread deforms in the contact patch, but on poor ground you win it back through smoother running.

A comparison puts the caster in context. A hard polyurethane or plastic wheel would have rolled more easily on a smooth floor and carried more, but run harder and lacked the damping. You choose the soft rubber tread when comfort, quiet running and gentleness weigh heavier than maximum load capacity and lowest rolling resistance. The fixed bracket makes the caster a partner to swivel casters; put fixed casters at one end and swivel casters at the other, and you get both a straight course and the ability to steer.

The wheels come in diameters from 200 all the way up to 540 mm and the series carries up to 550 kg per wheel. A large diameter rolls easily over thresholds, edges and bumps and lowers the rolling resistance, which is exactly what a pneumatic wheel wants. The fixed bracket takes up the forces in the direction of travel and holds the wheel steady even at speed.

Where does it fit? Pneumatic casters in a fixed bracket sit under hand carts, platform carts, equipment and carts that are run both indoors and outdoors, preferably combined with swivel casters for maneuvering. They are a good choice on a building site, in warehouses with an uneven transition between surfaces, in agriculture and grounds maintenance, where the ground changes and the soft rubber tread protects the load from shaking. The straight running makes them suitable where the cart is pulled longer distances without wandering sideways.

Think about the operating environment. An air-filled tire needs the right air pressure to carry and roll the way it should; too little pressure raises the rolling resistance and wears the sidewall. Check the pressure at regular intervals. Rubber is happy across a wide temperature range and grips well, but an air-filled tire can be punctured by sharp objects, unlike a solid wheel, so keep nails and sharp scrap out of the way. Dark rubber can sometimes leave marks on light, sensitive floors.

Do you want to know which diameter suits your cart and how best to combine fixed and swivel casters? Get in touch and we will go through the load, the surface and the way it is driven together.