A maintenance free heavy-duty industrial caster is one designed with a sealed precision ball bearing, and this type of bearing offers several advantages over typical caster designs.
At Caster Concepts our 37, 55, 57, 87, and New 97 Series are maintenance-free, thus designed to last the life of the bearing without maintenance or greasing. These casters save manufacturers time and money, extend caster life, and eliminate unnecessary maintenance plans.
With maintenance-free casters, sealed precision ball bearings are pumped with grease, and seals are assembled on each side of the ball raceway. The seals lock in grease and prevent dirt or liquid from entering. These bearings are manufactured with a heat-treated ball race along with steel balls.
Typical caster designs, kingpins and kingpins are constructed of similar features – including ball bearings. Kingpin and kingpin casters can last many years with proper maintenance programs and consistent lubrication schedules. However, with these casters, the bearing is constructed into the product.
As with a ball bearing, these swivel sections have machined and heat-treated raceways along carbon balls built into the top plate and yoke base, creating the bearing feature. Without a sealed swivel section, dirt and liquids can get into the swivel section and push out or dry the lubricant. This makes it difficult to rotate and requires constant greasing.
However, most facilities lack good maintenance programs for heavy duty industrial casters and wheels. The 37, 55, 57, and new 87 Series eliminate a regular greasing maintenance schedule. These casters can handle the most rigorous applications, yet the maintenance-free bearings prolong caster life and minimize the need to replace casters.
Our seasoned engineers can help you determine the proper maintenance-free heavy-duty industrial caster for all your applications – to help you save time and money and prolong caster life!