What Casters Are Best For Concrete Floors?
In choosing the best casters for concrete floors, you must understand how manufacturers build concrete floors and how the different caster materials react to them. Read on to learn about which casters to use on concrete floors.
Concrete Floors
Concrete is a composite material with three components: water, cement, and aggregate — which can either be rock, sand, or gravel. If you combine these materials, they will form a malleable paste that gradually hardens. It is a useful material used heavily in dams, roads, and buildings. You’ll also typically come across concrete floors.
Concrete floors are durable and fire-resistant. If you maintain them well, they can last as long as the structure they’re located in. However, concrete floors are prone to cracks, and the cracked areas will quickly deteriorate.
Choosing the wrong type of caster can cause difficulties in moving equipment on cracked concrete floors, and some can cause further floor damage.
Wheel Materials
The key to choosing the best casters for cement floors is learning about different wheel materials. The most common materials used for casters are steel, rubber, polyurethane, and nylon. Picking the wrong one can create challenges when moving equipment across concrete floors.
Steel Wheels
Steel is an alloy of iron with a bit of carbon, providing added strength and fracture resistance.
Steel wheels are resistant to abrasion and require minimal pressure to roll. They are durable and long-lasting, built for heavy loads and extreme heat.
Rubber Wheels on Concrete Floors
Natural rubber typically contains carbon and hydrogen. Manufacturers use them as wheels because of their grip.
Rubber wheels have high load capacity and are resistant to most oils, chemicals, and solvents. These wheels offer more resistance, making them easy to move on hard floors. Rubber wheels are typically softer than polyurethane ones, providing better cushioning.
Polyurethane Wheels on Concrete Floors
Engineers choose polyurethane, a type of polymer, in wheels because of its abrasion resistance. If you expect your caster to undergo severe abrasion, choose polyurethane wheels.
Polyurethane wheels typically have another material as a core, such as cast iron. This material can withstand heavy loads and will not damage or mark floors like steel wheels.
These wheels can provide a smooth ride over rough surfaces and resist most oils, chemicals, and debris. As they are harder than rubber wheels, polyurethane wheels are easier to maneuver. Additionally, polyurethane wheels have noise-reduction and corrosion-resistant properties.
Nylon Casters on Concrete Floors
Manufacturers prefer nylon for wheels because of its high load capacity. It is resistant to tear, wear, and impact.
Nylon wheels are suitable for soft and hard surfaces. Just like rubber wheels, they offer more resistance and grip, allowing ease of movement. Nylon wheels are ideal if you want to use the casters for a long time.
The Best Casters for Cement Floors
We highly recommend using polyurethane or nylon casters for concrete floors. They work best on concrete floors and cause minimal damage. If you have more questions about which casters to use on concrete floors, contact us or you can call 866-306-9566 and speak with our caster experts.