Caster Concepts Logo

Assembly carts are manufacturing’s utility player—the lumbering linchpin of the factory, whether delivering materials used in the manufacturing process or removing goods ready for sale. Such carts are a critical link in the manufacturing chain, often moving loads that tip the scales at thousands of pounds or more.

The cart itself adds hundreds of pounds to the equation, resulting in a lot of weight that an individual has to handle at some point—singlehandedly pushing, pulling, turning, or maneuvering the assembly carts and loads. This puts tremendous stress on the operator’s body, which could lead to overexertion injuries.

According to the “2013 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index,” injuries due to overexertion caused by outside forces cost U.S. businesses $14.2 billion in 2012. As you can see, this is a very serious—and costly—risk in manufacturing plants.

One solution to these challenges can be simply modifying the heavy-duty caster wheels upon which these carts are positioned. At Caster Concepts, we addressed this by developing TWERGO®, which stands for “Twin Wheel Ergonomic.” TWERGO® is an industrial caster with a patented parabolic face and independently rotating wheels—a combination that can help achieve a push force reduction of over 55% when compared to traditional balloon casters.

The independently rotating wheels on the TWERGO industrial caster reduce friction by allowing the wheels to rotate in the direction and amount needed to turn and maneuver. The parabolic face design with tapered tread design reduces the force exerted to start rolling.

Not only does the over 55% percent average reduction in force reduce the risk of overexertion injuries, it can also increase productivity. A TWERGO-configured cart can also be used to handle increased capacity, which would lead to not only reduced push forces but also a reduction in total trips.

What challenges exist in your manufacturing operations that a more maneuverable industrial caster wheel, like TWERGO, could solve?