Push Force Issues Not Run-Of-The-Mill For Sawmill Machine Manufacturer.

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By Corey Foust Inside Sales

Posted on: June 8, 2023

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Problem:

A manufacturer of capital equipment for the wood products industry was having difficulty with a cart application due to its weight.

As you can imagine, some of the equipment used in a large sawmill has a large footprint. In this case, the company was loading machinery on a cart that weighed more than 12,000 lbs., requiring up to 4 employees to move the cart manually.

At this weight, overexertion injuries were becoming common, and a solution needed to be found quickly.

Solution:

The company had tried using an option of a heavy-duty standard poly wheel, but this option proved to provide minimal success at best.

91 Series Caster

After consulting with Caster Concepts, the company switched to a 91 series caster with a 8×3 Nylatron wheel. The 91 caster rig features a swivel section that puts the ball bearing in a sheer load, providing great strength and smooth operation when swiveling in a loaded state. The nylon wheel provides weight capacities close to a similar size cast iron or steel wheel, and the vibration-dampening material actually offers a quieter operation. Additionally, the precision ball bearings used in the caster offered better rollability, which improved ergonomics.

Results:

Upon installation of the 91 Series rig with Nylatron wheels and precision sealed ball bearings, the customer was able to move the cart 75% loaded, or 9,000 lbs., with a single person. The company has since placed orders for this caster setup on two additional applications.