Terminology
Learn caster and wheel terminology from Faultless!
| Cast Iron | Semi-Steel - Cast iron toughened with steel, this wheel has extremely high load ratings and exceptionally long wear life. It's recommended for rough wood and concrete floors - a good choice for moving heavy loads in manufacturing and warehousing. Long-life features include a heavy tread and plain or roller bearings. Ideal in extreme operating temperature ranges of -40°F to +800°F with optional high temperature grease. | |
| Delrin Bearing | Delrin is a registered trademark of Dupont; this is an acetal resin molded into a flange type bearing. The bearing is press fitted into the hub of the wheel and is rotated around a hardened spanner. This bearing has high mechanical strength, high impact, low static, and dynamic coefficients of friction, with a wide use temperature range (-40° to +230°F). | |
| Dyna-Tred TPR Wheels | Thermoplastic rubber resists chemicals, caustics, oils, acids, and wear. Rugged polypropylene hub won't dent, mar, fade or stain. Tread and hub are double bonded and mechanically interlocked to eliminate tread separation. Gives dollies, carts and trucks a soft and cushioned non-marking ride. Temperature operating range is -40°F to +180°F. Durometer is 70A. | |
| Dyna-Tred Urethane Wheels | Polyurethane tread for high load capacity and extended wear. Protects floors and resists chemicals, caustics, acids, and oils. Rugged polypropylene hub will not dent, mar, fade, or stain. Tread and hub are mechanically interlocked to eliminate tread separations. Temperature operating range is -40°F to +180°F. Durometer is 90A. | |
| Friction Grip Stem | A rounded metal fastening with a separate brass or steel band attached to the end of it. The band contracts to allow for insertion and then expands to hold the caster in place. Friction Grip stems are most often used with either a socket or a predrilled specially sized hole in plastic. They are most common on chairs and ready-to-assemble furniture. Grip Ring stems are measured by their diameter and length, for example 7/16" diameter x 7/8" long. | |
| Glass Filled Nylon Wheel | These wheels offer high impact resistance, are capable of supporting heavy loads and are extremely durable. | |
| Grip Neck Stem | Used almost exclusively on wood furniture, the grip neck stem has a milled insertion end that is inserted into either a metal or plastic socket that has a special retention in it. Often times when placing casters with these types of stems you will find that the socket has worn out and will need to be replaced as well. | |
| Hard Rubber | Hard-rubber molded composition. It combines many desirable characteristics: high-load rating, good mobility, high-impact resistance, and good floor protection. Temperature operating range is -40°F to 158°F. Durometer is 75D. | |
| K-Wheel | The K-Wheel is molded from a high strength urethane compound which possesses the load characteristics of steel but gives the smooth effortless ride you expect from polyurethane. Solid wheel has no plastic or metal core thereby eliminating any possibility of tread separation. It is not affected by blood, brine, greases, oils, or most harsh chemicals. It's steam cleanable. Temperature operating range is -50°F to +180°F. Durometer is 55D. Standard color is blue. | |
| Load Rating | The load imposed upon a single caster or wheel while in motion. The overall load a cart can handle will be dependent on the individual load rating multiplied by the number of casters it has. | |
| Mold on Polyurethane | Polyurethane tread permanently attached to a metal core delivers a cushioned ride, excellent mobility, and extended life under extremely heavy loads. Duro-Tred wheels protect floors and loads better and will wear four to ten times longer than other wheel materials. Standard with roller bearings.Temperature operating range is -40°F to +180°F. Durometer rating is 95A in standard. |
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| Mold-On Rubber | Cushioned rubber tread permanently vulcanized to a semi-steel core is recommended for quiet movement with heavy loads. Molded core provides added strength with a reinforced, double-thick hub. Vulcanized rubber-tread wheels are standard with roller bearings. Temperature operating range is -40°F to +158°F. Durometer rating is 75A. | |
| Mount Type | The way a caster is attached to the unit it will be moving, generally done via a top plate, threaded stem, or friction grip stem. Some furniture will also use the grip neck stem fastening. See individual listing for more detail. | |
| Neoprene Wheel | Soft, solid wheel is specially formulated with a premium compound to withstand wear and abrasion while resisting oil and grease. Soft 50-60A durometer tread is permanently molded to a hard center core for added strength and higher load capacities. | |
| Overall Height | The vertical distance between the floor and the mounting plane of the equipment. | |
| Phenoilc | Phenolic compound reinforced with macerated fabric makes a high-strength, high-impact wheel resistant to oil, gasoline, even dilute acids. Compression-molded underextreme pressure, these wheels gain a dense, uniform consistency. Phenolic wheels are non-marking, non-conductive,and spark-proof. They are available with plain or roller bearings. Will not warp or swell in a temperature operating range of -40°F to +300°F. Durometer is 75D. | |
| Plain Bearing | In a plain bearing, the hub material is actually the bearing. The wheel rotates on a steel axle and is the most economical bearing application. | |
| Pneumatic | This Faultless wheel provides a cushioned ride for delicate instruments and breakable items. The tube-type, pressurized tire combines shock absorption with quiet operation and easy rolling. Standard with ball bearings. | |
| Polypropylene | This polypropylene wheel has a light weight, low cost, high impact strength. It resists water and chemical absorption, even stands up to repeated steam cleaning. Non-marking tread provides excellent floor protection. Polypropylene is one of the strongest and most economical wheels in many caster applications. It's available with plain or roller bearings. Temperature operating range is -20°F to +180°F. Durometer is 60D. |
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| Precision Bearing | This type of shielded bearing consists of a hardened outer raceway and inner raceway, separated by a concentric ring of hardened precision steel balls. This bearing is used in pairs and is usually press fitted into a deep pocket of a wheel allowing for very smooth and efficient rollability. | |
| Rigid | A caster with a fixed horn, allowing for movement only in the horizontal directions the wheel is facing. | |
| Roller Bearing | Normally this is a two-piece bearing, consisting of a roller assembly and a hardened outer race. The split-sleeve bearing consists of an outer raceway of hardened spring steel with a hardened roller and cage assembly. A full caged bearing assembly consists of a fully encased outer raceway with a hardened roller and cage assembly. All roller bearings operate in conjunction with a hardened shaft called a spanner. | |
| RT Wheels | Reinforced Thermoplastic material and specific processing create this high performance, durable, and cost effective wheel. The RT series of wheels, designed for use in the Faultless 1400 and 400 Series Casters, are ideally suited for food processing, tool storage, sanitary maintenance, and applications requiring easy mobility under heavy loads. They are extremely resistant to water, chemical absorption, and steam cleaning. Standard wheel operating temperature range is -20°F to +250°F and the High Temperature version range is -20°F to +480°F. Durometer is 65D. | |
| Soft Rubber | This composition rubber wheel combines a soft rubber tread with a hard rubber core for quiet movement, a cushioned ride, and maximum floor protection. Temperature operating range is -40°F to +158°F. Durometer is 75A. |
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| Swivel | A caster that rotates between the mounting and the horn allowing the unit it is placed on to move in multiple directions. | |
| Swivel Radius | The horizontal distance from the vertical center line of the caster to the outside edge of the wheel tread. This dimension specifies the minimum distance required for the caster to swivel 360° when mounted. | |
| Threaded Stem | A threaded stem is similar to a bolt. It can either be threaded up into a matching female threaded adapter or inserted through a hole and capped off with a nut. Threaded stems come in many sizes, ranging from 1/4"-20 to 3/4"-10 and everything in between. Threaded stems are specified by their thread diameter and the length. | |
| Top Plate | A horizontal plate for attaching a caster to equipment. Plate sizes contain the outside dimensions of the length and width of the plate along with the bolt hole pattern used for mounting them. Sometimes bolt holes are slotted to allow the plate to accommodate multiple patterns. |