Castors & Wheels

CASTORS AND WHEELS – UNLIMITED MOBILITY WHICH EVER WAY

You don't want to have to stand up just because you need to get a document our of the filing cabinet, or want to turn the lights on? A few castors on your office chair will ensure that you remain mobile while seated and can move from one side of your desk to the other in a blink. And if you need to get a pallet from the storeroom, rollers under the pallet truck will keep you relaxed when transporting it.

You'll find that kaiserkraft has a wide range of wheels and castors for furniture, office chairs and transport equipment of all types. All you have to do is choose the one that suits your requirements so that you and your loads can move safety and comfortably from one spot to another.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CASTORS AND WHEELS?

In principle, a castor is a ''fastened'' wheel. While a wheel only comprises a running surface/tyre, rim and wheel bearing, a housing including bearing and fastener is added to this for a castor.

Castors are, however, also distinguished into swivel castors and fixed castors. As the name already suggests, swivel castors can rotate, while fixed castors only ever face one direction. In general, two swivel castors are combined with two fixed castors for platform trolleys. If – for example, where space is tight – above-average manoeuvrability is required, you can also make use of four swivel castors. However, this will compromise directional stability. As you see, buying castors takes some thought.

WHAT DISTINGUISHES CASTORS FROM WHEELS?

At first glance, they might all look pretty similar, however there are, in fact, many differences between wheels and castors. The most important ones are as follows:

• Material: wheels and castors are available made of different materials. These are characterised by their respective specific properties. Solid rubber, for example, is non-marking and is well suited to poor floor conditions, while polyurethane (PU) scores points with a high load capacity and cast metal can withstand even extreme heat. And of course, we also have good old pneumatic tyres for you too.

• Wheel bearings: you have the choice – between sturdy plain bearings, smooth running roller bearings and precision ball bearings for large load capacities, all with optimum rolling characteristics at the same time.

• Types of mounting: how the castor is fastened to the device also makes a difference. kaiserkraft offers you six different types of mounting to choose from, from the particularly widespread plate-mounted fastener to the bolt hole fitting, as well as mounting using a threaded pin.

WHAT SHOULD YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN MAKING YOUR CHOICE?

The perfect castor for the job is the one where everything is just right: material, bearing, fastener... but when is everything just right for you? Use the following properties for orientation when making your choice:

• Load bearing capacity: use the formula ''load capacity = weight of device + max. load / 3''. This will ensure you're on the safe side and that the transport device can carry its load without further ado even when only three castors have ground contact – for example, on uneven floors.


• Roll resistance and rolling resistance: these variables provide an indication of how much force you require to start moving a wheel, and to keep it moving.


• Temperature resistance: if you intend to use the wheel in a cold storage facility, then it will need to be able to withstand low temperatures.


• Resistance to abrasion: the higher the resistance to abrasion, the lower the mechanical wear and tear is.

Do you want to avoid leaving marks on wood, linoleum or tiles? Then make sure to choose non-marking castors, for examples ones made of thermoplastic rubber. Please note that the type of mounting also has an effect on which loads the castors can carry. Whereby the following, in turn, is important to note: some transport devices are only suitable for certain types of mounting. If you're not sure, just ask us!

WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION?

In our detailed purchasing guide on wheels and castors, for example. Or in our purchasing guide to types of plastic (wheels). Our transport equipment product category also provides you with an overview of our large range of transport devices and practical accessories. If you have any questions, need castors that can withstand specific requirements, or need to re-equip an old pallet truck? Then please call us. We'll be happy to advise you. If necessary, we'll also take care of special requests to ensure you stay mobile at work.

These products may also be of interest to you:

Transport device castors | Wicke swivel castors | Tente swivel castors