Even though casters are just a small part of carts, they’re integral to the equipment’s operation. Getting the right ones to install on your dollies or racks is integral to maintaining streamlined operations and ensuring personnel and inventory safety. Buying the wrong casters can result in an array of issues that seriously harm your company.
At LINCO, we have shared some of the issues you could face if you buy the incorrect casters. Here’s what you need to know.
Things That Can Go Wrong With Casters
Before discussing the possible consequences of purchasing the wrong casters, let’s talk about the types of errors you can make that qualify as an incorrect caster purchase. These mistakes don’t stem from the casters themselves but from cost-cutting measures or lack of foresight from your team.
1. Incorrect Weight Capacity
One of the reasons why casters fail is because the load exceeds their weight capacity. It’s important to consider getting casters that can carry the maximum weight of your products or shipment, with an additional allowance for other items that may be added, such as supplies and personnel equipment. If not, the caster may dismount and break.
2. Wrong Wheel Materials
Another important consideration is the type of material used on the caster, especially the wheels. Some are made with corrosion-resistant metals for more heavy-duty work. Others have nylon casters that are typically used for high-impact work. You’ll need to determine the best type of material for your operations and work environment. Otherwise, the casters may fail.
3. Wrong Bearing Type
The bearings are an important part of the caster system, limiting movement and reducing friction within the caster. Due to the way bearings work, it’s important to choose the right ones for your casters. Some are ideal for constant side movements, while others are better for high-humidity environments.
4. Floor Type
Your facility’s floor type is an often neglected aspect when choosing the right casters. However, this factor is an important consideration since casters can behave differently on various surfaces. Hard wheels are more suitable for tiles and concrete floors. On the other hand, nylon and epoxy-coated casters are more suited for softer surfaces. Not only can the wrong casters affect your operations, but they can also damage your floor.
5. Incorrect Size
Getting the correctly-sized caster is not only important for load bearing, but it also provides stability as workers move the carts. When buying casters, ensure that you’re getting ones that are proportionally sized to the cart or container.
Potential Effects of Using the Wrong Casters
Failure to install the right kind of caster for your equipment can result in the following issues.
Damage to Your Equipment
Unstable casters can make it harder for your personnel to operate your carts, racks, and dollies. This decrease in maneuverability and dexterity can result in collisions that damage your carts and the products or equipment they’re carrying.
Delays in Your Operations
Having the wrong casters will delay operations either by making it harder to move products from place to place or by making repairs and maintenance more frequent. Having the right kind of caster helps you avoid these issues and allows you to stay on track with your deadlines.
Decrease in Productivity
Along with delays, you can also see a decrease in overall productivity thanks to faulty casters. This problem also stems from constant repair work and hard-to-use carts.
Injury to Personnel
Collisions can also happen between your personnel and an unstable cart. This possibility means that incorrect casters are a safety hazard, and injured workers can file personal injury claims that may cost your company significant expenses.
Loss of Capital
The overall negative effect of buying incorrect casters is loss of capital. The constant maintenance and repair work, the cost of replacements, and the compensation for injured workers all harm you financially. It’s much better to do your research on the correct types of casters to use and dedicate a small investment to buying them.
Contact Us for Your Caster Needs
Don’t make the mistake of buying incorrect casters and causing various issues to your operations. LINCO offers a wide range of casters and other industrial supplies, giving you many options to choose from.
Whether you’re located in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world, we can supply the casters you need for efficient and safe operations. In addition, we serve a wide range of industries, such as food service, manufacturing, logistics and shipping, and medical and healthcare.
Are you ready to get started? Contact us to learn more!