Talking About Industrial Equipment and Supplies

When you have to move things around in your office, warehouse, and shop, you most likely use carts or decks with casters to get things where they need to be. You may think that any caster will work, however, having the wrong type of wheel/caster can make the job harder, destroy the flooring, and will need to be replaced sooner than they should. Here are a few things you need to consider when putting casters onto a cart:

Flooring

Casters work differently on different types of flooring. Contrary to what you might believe, you should use hard wheels and casters for carpets or rugs. This will allow you to easily push the cart through the fibers. Also, you should use larger wheels for deeper carpets to ensure they roll well. If the carpet is extremely plush, you may need to put down some type of floormat on the path. Wood, concrete, or tile flooring can be damaged by hard wheels, so you should use always use casters with soft wheels on them. This will ensure the wheels roll instead of skid across the floor.

Load

Make sure the casters will be strong enough to bear and move the weight of what you will be putting on the cart. A heavier load will require denser casters and wheels. Weigh the cart when it is loaded and divide the weight by the number of casters on it. This will give you the load each caster and wheel must carry. Putting too much weight on the casters can cause them to collapse, dumping the load and possibly injuring someone. Make sure you check the load capacity of each caster set that you buy, so you are sure to have ones that are heavy-duty enough to hold the weight.

Other Conditions

If you will be moving things in conditions that are different than a normal, dry, room you will need to make sure that the casters and wheels will not be affected by the condition. Metal wheels may rust if they have to go through water frequently. Rubber wheels may begin to melt or stick on very hot surfaces. Some plastic casters and wheels may become brittle in very cold temperatures.

Take your time to choose the right casters and wheels for all your carts, dollies, and hand trucks. Getting your supplies where they belong makes everyone's job easier. It will also prevent injuries to people and damage to your goods.

Contact a company like Garland's, Inc. for more information and assistance.