Types of Casters and Wheels

A wheel and a mount are used in the making of a caster. The wheel is mounted to the mount or axle, which attaches it to any piece of equipment like chair etc. It allows for free rotation of the wheel with respect to the chair, table.

There are three different types of caster arrangements: front, center and rear mount.

Front-mounted casters have bearings at or near their outer ends so that they can swivel and move up and down. They can be single or double depending on size and application.

Center-mounted casters have a radial bearing at their axis that allows the caster to swivel and pivot, but will not allow for vertical movement.

Center-mounted casters are typically used as auxiliary casters intended only to supplement larger front or rear mounted casters.

Rear-mounted casters have the roller at their axle end, just like front-mounted casters, but are not adjustable in angle or height.

Rear caster wheels typically swivel on an axle that is attached to the chassis of the vehicle by means of a pivot bushing. This allows for up and down wheel movement, but not side to side or swiveling movement.

What Are Caster Wheels?

Caster wheels are found in shopping carts, restaurant tables, retail display units, office chairs and furniture. They allow for easy movement of equipment along smooth surfaces like linoleum or hardwood flooring.

A wheel is also made up of two parts like the main part has the rubber tire which provides traction and support to the caster while bearing acts as a connection between the wheel and mount.

The main function of caster wheels is to provide smooth mobility in equipment. Caster wheels are used in different types of furniture like chairs, tables and sofas which makes them easy for shifting from one place to another with ease.

How caster types are determined

It is important to consider caster type when choosing casters for a piece of equipment. The application of the caster is determine the various factors involved with selecting which type of caster to use.

Choose those kind of caster that will accommodate the surface where the equipment will be used.

This is especially important in areas that are rough or uneven, like if you want chair to use on carpet then you should choose those caster which can easily move on carpet.

Casters with larger wheels and swivel bearings work best on these types of surfaces. Also consideration has to be given to the weight of the equipment and how much it will be moved.

Wheels with larger diameter bearings work best when moving heavier loads, especially when there is any incline involved in the movement.

Let’s look at some examples

A standard office chair that rolls around on a smooth, uncarpeted floor can use most any type of caster. It will usually have one of the lighter duty, front-mounted casters.

A patient table for a dental office has four casters that run on tile floors that are sometimes waxed or buffed with an industrial cleaner.

Because of this, it is best to use center-mounted casters because they don’t swivel like front-mounted casters. Also, the heavier casters will be better able to support the weight of the equipment.

Finally, consider a large piece of medical or dental equipment that needs to move around on carpeted corridors and rooms with flat surfaces.

A larger caster wheel would work best because it will provide the best mobility over these types of surfaces. Also, the caster should be able to swivel because there are often obstacles that need to be negotiated.

These are just some examples of how caster type can affect the application.

Front-mounted casters have many applications for their ease of movement over flat surfaces.

Center-mounted casters move heavy equipment easily over smooth surfaces and provide some swivel movement.

Rear-mounted casters work well in linear applications where there are no obstacles to be negotiated.

Casters are designed for specific types of equipment, so it is important to match the caster type with the application.

What are the Benefits of Casters?

Here are some of the benefits of casters:

Mobility of equipment is increased.

You can use casters to make it easy for to move equipment around. This can be especially important in medical applications, where patient beds are equipped with casters so that they can easily move them from room to room on any surface.

Most casters have brakes or locking mechanisms that prevent accidental movement.

This is very important for those working in areas with uneven surfaces and will help prevent injury.

Casters can allow equipment to easily go over thresholds and raised door sills, which can be difficult for many types of equipment without casters.

One example is a heavy piece of medical or dental equipment that does not have smooth edges and moves easily over the raised surfaces of sills and thresholds.

We usually get to see using casters with specific types of equipment, meaning they are often universal for all equipment.

They are also standard in size so that they fit many different sizes of equipment.

This can be especially important in medical applications where there is a wide range of equipment.

In short, casters have many benefits when it comes to equipment movement and application design.

They can make moving heavy medical and dental equipment easier and allow it to go over raised threshold and door sills with ease.

The best way to find the right caster is by considering your specific type of application and equipment.

FAQs

Are all caster wheels the same?

No. Caster wheels are designed for different types of equipment and surfaces. When finding the right caster wheel, you need to consider your specific application, the type of surface on which it is use where it will go in that application, and what equipment will attached to.

What are the four main caster types?

The four main caster types are center-mounted, front-mounted, rear-mounted, and specialty casters.

Center-mounted casters are used to provide mobility over flat surfaces with no obstacles in the way.

They also provide some swivel motion for when you need to move around objects in your application. These wheels work well on smooth surfaces.

They are the most common type of casters. In many applications, especially in industrial settings people use it.

Front-mounted casters provide ease of movement over flat smooth surfaces and swivel motion for negotiating obstacles.