These days, casters aren’t just wheels that you can slap onto a cart to help transport goods from one area to another. Now they are critical tools that can help to increase the productivity and safety of your workers. In this age of technology, computers and tablets aren’t the only things getting an upgrade — innovative casters have also been designed to make operations run more swiftly and smoothly.
In this blog post, we explore all the different ways in which casters have been reinvented in many ways over the past few years.
1. Motorized Casters
Motorized casters are one of the best tools introduced in various industries, where it is growing in demand and can take heavier loads. Because workers can get injured and overworked from pushing and pulling carts all day, manufacturers thought of a way to help them easily carry and transport more loads. The introduction of motorized casters has improved efficiency and safety, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
Shaft-driven motorized wheels aren’t always easily adaptable to a cart, but there is an easier option: industrial casters without shafts equipped with a quarter horsepower electric motor. This solution allows workers to move as much as 5,952 pounds (2,700 kilos) while moving up to 5 miles an hour, and also comes with a control system for safety. According to manufacturers, a motorized caster won’t need any human intervention to have it move as much as 2,866 pounds (1,300 kilos).
As a result, they eliminate the need for any interaction with people and will allow you to better protect your staff.
2. Redesigned Swivel Casters
Modern casters will often come with this feature and can help during times when you find it most difficult to roll your cart in one direction when the swivel caster is facing the opposite direction. This is no longer a problem with the new and improved swivel casters that have been designed to have an innovative bearing raceway. These new designs introduce a swivel assembly that uses two pivot points instead of just one.
As such, these pivot points will ensure that your casters won’t become locked in place as much as a conventional caster does. This means that all cart operators won’t have to put so much effort and waste so much energy just to get their carts to go in a different direction. This is also true for workers who need to push with all their power just to get a cart rolling.
3. Advanced Braking Systems
The ideal braking system will do its job while at the same time protecting your equipment. Through that logic, a new set of innovative casters were developed with advanced braking systems. This was achieved through the dead man brake and the ideal-stop brake, both of which ensure that carts stay immobile while carrying equipment as needed.
The ideal-stop brake has been designed never to turn into an unreachable position — its pedals are attached to the top plate, which means it can be easily engaged whenever it is needed. The Dead Man brake, on the other hand, has a locking system placed within the wheel that can be engaged and disengaged from the cart handle. The cart will be allowed to roll once pressure is manually applied to the handle, but the wheels will lock as soon as you release the lever.
4. Multiple Wheel Ergonomics
This new motion solution is designed for use in a wide range of industrial applications, where these wheels provide easier movement for heavily loaded vehicles and carts. These wheels use a new concept where the wheel is anchored to a robust spanner that improves on the existing design, featuring an aluminum die-cast core for superior strength. As a result, they minimize friction and eliminate sliding and scrubbing while keeping their impact resistance.
Shop at LINCO for All Your Caster Needs
Suppliers are always designing new products to make your operations more efficient. The latest technology now allows for improved ergonomics, reduced noise levels, and better safety for our workers. If you want the most innovative casters, contact us at LINCO today.