Many people stumble for a correct answer or simply don’t know when asked what a caster is. However, once you start noticing casters, you’ll find them in numerous areas of industry, food service, health care, and transportation.
So what exactly is a caster? A caster is an undriven, single, double, or compound wheel mounted to the bottom of a larger object. Its purpose is to make an object move easier.
Many components and intricate features go into the making of casters and caster wheels. Manufacturers and distributors often present confusing, complex descriptions of the final product. Although all this information is at times helpful, it may also be overwhelming. So we’ve made a “Casters 101” glossary for the caster consumer:
Plate casters, also known as plate mount casters or top plate casters, are engineered to facilitate the movement of objects by attaching them to a caster plate or top plate. Distinguished by their broader surface area for weight distribution and force, they excel in accommodating heavier loads compared to stem mount casters. Caster Concepts only manufactures top plate casters; we do not make stem casters. Plate casters are particularly well-suited for heavy-duty industrial environments, where their robust construction and wide weight distribution make them an ideal choice.
A plate caster can be one of two types, either a rigid caster or a swivel caster. A rigid caster consists of a wheel mounted to a stationary fork. The fork’s orientation is fixed when the caster is mounted. These rigid casters utilize straight-line travel, as in rolling forward or backward. An example of this is the wheels found at the rear of a shopping cart. They restrict vehicle motion so that the vehicle travels along a straight line.
Like the rigid style caster, a swivel caster wheel is mounted to a fork, but an additional swivel joint above the fork allows it to freely rotate about 360°, enabling the wheel to roll in any direction. This makes it possible to move the vehicle easily without changing its orientation.
There are numerous ways to utilize casters. They are used in many applications and benefit whatever job is at hand. Casters and wheels offer a wide variety of solutions within many different applications.
Caster Concepts is a leader in manufacturing industrial casters and caster wheels. We strive to bring you the most robust and durable casters and wheels available. Every order is custom-made to fit the exact specifications of your application. For further information and a custom beyond standard solution, please call 517-680-7950 or email customercentral@casterconcepts.com.