Ergonomic Casters & Wheels - Caster Connection

1.800.544.8978 : www.casterconnection.com

Ergonomic Casters and Wheels

Why They Matter


The Right Casters and Wheels Can Prevent Injuries

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Required push/pull force is the most important component of ergonomic performance regarding the manual moving of carts with casters.

The weight load of the cart (and its cargo) being moved is important, however the casters and wheels the cart is being moved upon play a key role in the ease with which the cart is moved.

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Push Rather Than PullPushing a cart is preferable to pulling because:

• Workers moving the cart don’t put themselves at risk for being run into or their feet being run over by the rolling cart

• The path of movement is more visible while pushing facing forward versus occasionally turning around while pulling

• Pulling puts the shoulders and back in an awkward position

• Force is generated more easily with pushing than it is with pulling


Ergonomics’ Financial Impact

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• Quality of Output• Health & Safety• Productivity

are affected financially when there’s a poor combination of

• Tools• People • Work

•The reduction of unnecessary and/or awkward movements reduces the time and effort necessary to complete a task


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• Wheel Composition

• The resiliency of the wheel is an important factor in determining how the wheel performs when rolling over physical barriers such as thresholds or debris.

• Softer (lower durometer) wheels to some extent conform to the shape of the object(s) that they roll over, meaning debris and barriers do not typically cause damage to softer wheels.

• Wheels that have the proper durometer and resiliency reject embedding of debris and flat-spotting. Embedding typically occurs in hard, non-resilient wheels and can cause floor damage, added rolling resistance, increase noise and vibration.

• Harder wheels typically roll easier than soft wheels. When using hard wheels, one must consider the likelihood of the wheels encountering debris and the floor type.

Wheels’ Role in Ergonomics


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Wheels’ Role in Ergonomics

• Wheel Diameter

• The larger the diameter of a wheel, the lower the rolling resistance will be. While this is an important factor, it is frequently overlooked.

• The more uneven or coarse a floor is, the larger the wheel’s diameter should be. Rough floor conditions may include thresholds, debris, grates, etc.


The CC Apex wheel was developed after a major automotive manufacturer approached Caster Connection looking for a solution to the problems they faced in their tow line applications.

Those problems included:

• Push/Pull Ergonomics• Debris Retention• Increasing Weight Requirements

The CC Apex ’s high quality polyurethane

• Dramatically reduces push/pull force requirements with its incredible rebound and resiliency

• Eliminates all debris retention in the wheel, thus maintaining easy maneuverability and protection of flooring

• Provides the necessary load capacities for the increasing weight in the users’ applications 7

A Wheel That Meets Ergonomic Needs

http://www.casterconnection.com/ccApex

http://www.casterconnection.com/ccApex


• Traditional Kingpin Swivel Caster

• Composed of an upper and lower ball race held together with a nut and bolt or riveted kingpin

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Rig Raceway’s Role In Ergonomics

•Kingpinless Swivel Caster

• Composed of a forged inner and outer race that are held together by the ball bearings

• Maintenance-Free Swivel Caster

• Composed of a sealed precision-ball or other sealed- ball raceway


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Rig/Fork Role In Ergonomics (Cont)

Type of Raceway

• Traditional Kingpin Swivel Caster• End user can tighten the kingpin so as the caster wears over time, the life of the caster can be extended.

• Kingpinless Swivel Caster • Load is concentrated on the ball bearings distributing the load over a larger surface area, which allows the rig to be used in heavy and higher speed applications. The ease of swivel action helps reduce push/pull forces as well.

• Maintenance-Free Swivel Caster• Load is concentrated on the primary thrust bearing - which has seated ball bearings - and the secondary load bearing; this allows for even dispersion of load to allow use in a towing application and reduce push/pull more than a kingpinless design.


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Length of the Swivel Lead

• Swivel Lead• The distance from the axle hole to the center of the swivel raceway

• Standard Lead• Like its name implies, the standard lead is the most common variation in caster forks - this length varies with the diameter of the caster

• Extended Lead• Longer swivel lead than the traditional standard lead


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By increasing the length of the Swivel Lead

• Chatter/Flutter is reduced in towing applications, in addition to

• Reducing noise• Prolonging the life of the product as unnecessary stress is eliminated

• Required push/pull force is reduced• By extending the lead, the caster naturally settles into the trailing position• Due to the caster rotating much more easily and freely


The CC Peak Maintenance-Free Swivel Caster is designed to meet the demanding requirements of manufacturing environments.

Those requirements include

• Push/Pull Ergonomics• Durability – Stands up to abuse• No maintenance required

The CC Peak ’s Robust Ergonomic Design

• Dramatically reduces push/pull force requirements with its precise raceway and extended lead

• Stands the test of time and abuse with the thick forged steel legs/raceway

• Requires no maintenance with the sealed raceway and lifelong grease12

A Caster That Meets ergonomic Needs

Caster Featuring CC Apex wheel w/ CC Peak rig

Corporate Headquarters

Caster Connection, Inc.

2380 International Street

Columbus, Ohio 43228

P: 1.800.544.8978

F: 1.888.852.7202

[email protected]

www.casterconnection.com

Caster Connection – manufacturer of casters and wheels and a master distributor of national brand casters, wheels and hand trucks – was launched by Sally Hughes out of the trunk of her car in

1987 in Chardon, Ohio. More than twenty five years after its launch, Caster Connection sources products globally, serves companies throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico and maintains great relationships with thousands of clients.

Ergonomic Casters & Wheels - Caster Connection

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