Sealing the deal: the advantages of a maintenance free caster.

Home » Blog » Sealing the deal: the advantages of a maintenance free caster.

By Doug Backinger VP of Sales

Posted on: April 20, 2020

Categories: Custom Casters and Wheels , Maintenance Free Caster Solutions

Quality vs. Price Shouldn’t be an Either/Or Issue

In times of economic belt-tightening, there is a balancing act of measuring a caster’s quality against its price. This concern is understandable. However,  a decision based solely on price often results in buying an imported and undersized caster rig.

It’s a solution that might work in the short run, but maintenance costs and wear over its life cycle usually lead to bigger problems.

A caster with too small or inconsistent swivel section progressively becomes more difficult to push. And a cart that is hard to push raises the potential for back injuries. This also takes a toll on the caster, shortening its lifespan while increasing the frequency of casters needed for replacement.

A good example of this happened to a large food processor who was experiencing frequent caster and wheel failure due to moisture. In the end, significant downtime and frequent repair costs became an issue.

The solution was a moisture-resistant polyurethane wheel with a sealed swivel bearing (maintenance-free) from Caster Concepts. Down-time due to caster failure and replacement costs was reduced by more than 50%. There was also a 75% decrease in maintenance labor costs. The additional cost upfront more than paid for itself over a longer-lasting and maintenance-free life cycle.

Grease stays in. Dirt stays out.

The bearings in maintenance-free casters are pumped with grease and sealed on each side of the ball raceway. The importance of the seals is twofold: keep grease locked in and keep dirt or liquid out. This attribute extends caster life in the toughest of industrial environments.

Maintenance-free casters range from medium-light duty to heavy-duty.  They can support between 750 to 5000 pounds per caster. And if you are looking to minimize the effort to move a cart, pairing a maintenance-free rig with the proper wheel can significantly reduce push force.

Here are some unique features of maintenance-free casters:

• Custom top plates – With customized top plates, it’s possible to ensure the perfect fit with your existing equipment and reduce the need for future tightening.
• Sealed ball bearings –Not only do these reduce swivel force and improve ergonomics, but they never need any kind of greasing or adjustments. This alone can significantly reduce your maintenance costs. Sealed bearings also drastically reduce swivel noise. Across multiple forklifts, the decrease in noise could have a tremendous impact on workplace satisfaction.
• Customizable swivel lead –Because you can customize the swivel lead to your needs, you can further improve ergonomics and make your forklifts run more efficiently.
• Welded legs –Because the legs are welded continuously on both the inside and the outside, they offer a tremendous amount of strength and durability that requires less frequent replacement.
• High-quality swivel – Swivel raceways are hardened and precisely fit to reduce any “play”, which means swivel action will remain the same, regardless of frequency of use.

For more information on the extended life and cost-savings benefits of maintenance-free casters, chat with a Caster Concepts representative or call us at 517-680-7950.