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A popular question that we get asked is whether we can match a specific caster or cross-reference another caster manufacturer’s part number. The short answer is yes. Because we do not stock full assembled casters, we have the ability to modify dimensions to match the caster you have. But the reason that I say this is a short answer is that you need to think about a few factors before deciding to cross over a caster with another manufacturer.
Casters have been around for a long time. Depending on your application, if you were to search on Caster Concepts website or any other of our competitor’s websites, they are going to have a caster that is rated at the right capacity and generally are similar in dimensions.
Here’s an example of why this is important. Let’s say your cart is currently using a caster that has a top plate size of 4.5’’ x 4’’. However, these casters get welded on the bottom of a cart, so the bolt hole spacing and top plate really don’t play into any factor. This would be an important consideration to know. In this case, as we look over all of the other information on the caster, one of our standard casters could be off by a ½’’ or ¾’’ but will still fit onto the cart with no issues.
Being able to use a standard component versus having to modify something slightly can help bring cost savings to you. The same goes for any dimension or part of the caster. If there are critical pieces of your current caster that you need to maintain but possibly others are not that critical, please share that with your sales rep. If we are able to squeeze a standard caster into your design or onto your cart, that is going to be the easiest way to go.
We understand that there are some applications where everything needs to match up precisely with the caster you have on hand. That is not an issue at all, as we are able to accommodate that. In cases where you have a caster — but have no details on where it might have come from or how much the caster is rated for — our engineering team is able to tackle that hurdle. We can have the caster shipped to Caster Concepts, take it apart, grab measurements of all the dimensions, and analyze the “guts” of the caster (bearings style, bearing size, swivel section makeup, etc.).
The example above is typically a last resort after no information can be found on a caster and that exact caster is needed. So, back to the original question: Can you match the casters that I currently have?” YES. We can make anything. The real question comes down to why do you want to cross over the caster. Sometimes the better question is “Why do I need replacement casters and is that going to be reoccurring? Possibly, another caster altogether could be your solution.
