Tag: industrial

Flanged Wheels for Controlled Workflow

The flanged caster wheel is perfect for any situation requiring the use of a track. The flange (whether dual or single) keeps the wheel from jumping off the track during use.

Flanged wheels set themselves apart from other wheels by having a lip around one or both outside edges of the wheel. Most people will be familiar with flanged wheels as those on trains or old mining carts, however they are popular for many industrial and factory setting applications.

The use of a track with a flanged wheel can provide several advantages over a standard wheel rolling on the floor. The floor itself will see less wheel wear, and the caster unit and wheel will have less chance to pick up debris on the floor. Flanged wheels also provide tracked workflow to maintain controlled mobility as well as providing the ability easily raise or lower the work.

Another distinct advantage is the ability of the flanged caster to bring the work overhead. A good example of this is on cranes and hoists that use flanged wheels to roll on an I-beam.

Check out our flanged wheel page for more information!

Caster Wheels for High Temperature Environments

Most casters and wheels for industry and commercial applications contain some ability for exposure to temperatures above the norm. Typically, temperatures to 180 degrees Fahrenheit are possible. For those environments where higher temperature are expected, such as a bakery oven or autoclave, caster wheel composition must be considered.

Phenolic wheelRecommended exposures to high temperature and length of operation vary. Also, consideration to the type of heat is necessary. These factors, along with floor surface, determine the possible lifetime of the caster wheel.

For locations with a dry heat, high temperature Phenolic wheels perform optimally. A safe range for estimating usage would be temperatures up to 475° F for 30 minutes of continuous operation.

When moist heat is expected, a glass-filled nylon wheel for high temperatures is the favored option. Conservatively, 475° F for 30 minutes continuous use provides the best scenario for a prolonged wheel lifetime. It should be noted that glass-filled nylon wheels are not for use in dry heat.

For issues of high heat, high temperature Phenolic and glass-filled nylon wheels are a solution for most environs. As noted, usage is permitted beyond the given parameters, but life expectancy of the caster wheels might be greatly reduced.

Twin Wheel Casters VS. Single Wheel Casters

One question we get a lot here at SCC is “Why choose a twin wheel caster instead of a single wheel caster?” Well, let me tell you.

A twin wheel caster offers several distinct advantages over its single wheeled counterpart. Perhaps the most obvious advantage is weight handling capacity. If we take two casters with the same wheel diameter and material, but one is twin wheeled, it will handle more weight. Another way to look at this advantage is that we can use a smaller twin wheel caster to reach the same weight bearing capacity as a larger single wheel. This can be important if you need to maintain a lower load height within a specific weight capacity range.

Another great advantage of twin wheel casters is their ability to turn easily. Where a single wheel caster must pivot on itself, a twin wheel caster’s wheels can rotate independently of each other, making turning or reversing direction much easier.