Casters are more important than you may think. They provide easy access to many different objects, and you benefit from them greatly without ever even acknowledging that they are there.
Knowing the answer to “what is a caster?” and learning what the different types of casters are will allow you to better understand how to find those that will suit your needs, so you can continue living and working efficiently.
Ready to get started? Keep reading to learn more.
What Is a Caster?
So, what are casters? A caster is defined as a wheel that is undriven, which is designed to be attached to the bottom of a large object, allowing that object to move around easily.
You can find casters in many different objects, such as shopping carts, office chairs, hospital beds, and wagons.
There are also high-capacity casters, which are heavy-duty and are typically used in industrial applications, such as assemblies and platform trucks.
Types of Casters
When choosing casters, you need to be aware that there are various kinds, and they will change depending on what you will be using the casters for.
Some casters can only roll on a straight path, whereas others can swivel or pivot, allowing the wheel to automatically align itself to the direction of where you are going. Let’s look into the different types further.
Rigid Casters
A rigid caster, also known as a fixed caster, can only move forward or backward as the wheel is mounted to a stationary fork. Grocery carts often use rigid casters, as they are unable to move from side to side.
Swivel Casters
The swivel casters also have a wheel-mounted fork, but they also have another swivel joint, allowing the fork to move around in a complete circle.
This allows you to move the object around in any direction with ease.
The swivel casters rely on a kingpin, which is a bolt that holds the raceway together. Because of the stress that is put on the kingpin, this is often the cause of failure for swivel casters.
Kingpinless Casters
The kingpinless casters do not use kingpins, hence the name. Kingpinless casters have an inner raceway, an outer raceway, and ballbearings between the raceways.
As stress is better evenly distributed this way, kingpinless casters rarely fail and are often used for powered towing applications because of the force they can handle.
If you think you are ready to purchase your casters, look here for your casters buying guide.
Look Into Buying Casters for Your Needs
So, now you know the answer to “what is a caster?” and can see the benefits they provide. Casters are helpful for many different applications, so use the guide above to choose which will suit your needs best.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your office chair or you need something for industrial work, casters are sure to make your life easier.
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