While all our caster wheels are designed and manufactured to sustain typical usage environments, the correct product selection and ambient usage conditions matter the most. The following parameters significantly affect the usage efficiency and life of the products and should be considered while selecting casters for your application.

 

Weight loading capacity

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The gross weight considering the weight of the material handling structure and the gross weight of each part being loaded must be considered, whilst making allowances for:

1. Even distribution of load across the number of caster wheels used.

2. Fair usage of mechanical towing equipment or electrical tuggers, minimizing over speeding or imbalance that may lead to premature wear and tear of the caster wheels. 

3. Covering un-realistic distances per trip under load.

4. Safe dynamic impact loads not more than 2G’s of force. 

 

Ambient conditions of the shop floor

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The ambient floor conditions of the shop floor are equally important as the loading capacity of the casters. Rough floors can lead to premature wear of the wheel treads leading to load imbalance. Gutters, potholes or sharp projection on shop floors, especially at turns, can significantly affect the caster integrity and eventually lead to its damage, especially when moved around under loaded conditions. The shop floors are expected to be free from sharp metal filings and objects that could potentially puncture and damage the wheel treads.

 

Chemical spills on the floor, can lead to corrosion and damage of wheel treads. While utmost care is taken to prevent corrosion of the caster parts, via paint job and metal plating, chemical/water spillage or splashes may eventually lead to metal corrosion. 

 

Instructions for safe usage of caster wheels

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1. Loading capacity

Meanwhile, safety factors are considered while determining the load capacity of casters, it is highly recommended that the users conform to the loading recommendations. Load capacities mentioned in the catalogue apply to normal working conditions, provided, the floors are free from shrapnel and other imperfections such as gutters, potholes or sharp concrete projections that could possibly wear the wheel treads and compromise the caster integrity when subjected to impacts under load. Load capacity may be calculated considering the empty load of material handling structure plus the gross weight of each part to be loaded and the number of caster wheels. It may be noted that the ideal load capacity will be significantly affected if the caster wheels are subjected to impacts under loaded conditions. 

 

2. Operating speed

Casters and wheels are manufactured to be operated under a safe operating speed of 4km/hr, which is equivalent to the average walking speed of an adult human being, on a flat, smooth and even surface, free from debris, metal filings, and other indentations, which is equivalent to the average walking speed of an adult human being. For mechanical towing or tuggered movement beyond the recommended speeds, it is highly recommended to reduce the load on the wheel, as the impact loads at higher speeds can possibly affect the caster integrity leading to its damage or breakdown. 

 

3. Floor compatibility

While the wheels are manufactured for wide range of usage, it is highly recommended that the floor type maybe taken into consideration while choosing the wheels. Polyurethane treaded wheels are recommended for epoxy flooring. Hard polymer wheels may significantly damage the smooth epoxy flooring as it tends to pick up debris leading to scoring and scratching soft epoxy flooring. Kindly contact us for further technical assistance.

 

4. Other recommendations

All wheels and casters go through strict quality check. However, we highly recommend further scrutiny from customer end to further nullify the misuse of the caster wheel that may lead to its failure. Some check points are as follows. 

1. Placing recommended load levels. Overloading can significantly reduce the caster wheel performance and its operational life. 

2. Subjecting the caster wheels to extreme shock/impact during transportation or material movement.

3. Maintaining the speed within recommended levels

4. Using the caster wheels only on recommended floor conditions.

5. Checking the ambient atmospheric conditions, so that the caster wheels are not subjected to extreme temperatures, rain etc. Leaving the caster wheels unattended in bright sunlight, can lead to the eventual breakdown of thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics as a result of the ultraviolet rays from the sunlight resulting the underperformance or damage to the wheels.

6. It may be noted the brakes should be in released position while movement. Failure to release the brakes can lead to significant damages to the wheel tread leading to imbalance and potential accident.

7. Orbit Casters do not recommend user servicing of its caster wheels. Any unauthorised servicing or maintenance of the installed components will void its warranty. Orbit Casters will not be accountable for any incidents occurring due to unauthorised disassembly and servicing of its products without our prior consent.