Castors 101: Industry terms & phrases you should know

When you want to pick the best castors, it’s imperative to know some of the terms used in the industry. It just makes it easier to identify what delivers the best value and quality for you. And if you manage it correctly, the results can be pretty impressive every time. At the end of the day, it’s easier to communicate with a castor wheel supplier in India or anywhere in the world if you know these terms.

Castor wheel parts
You will notice there are two parts for the castor wheel, more specifically the rig and wheel. The rig is known as housing or fork. It’s basically the entire castor wheel, aside from the wheel itself. Then you have the wheel which will basically keep the weight of the product. You can move around thanks to it and the axle will go via the structure’s center.

Raceway
This is the place where the ball bearings will lead the castor to swivel. The kingpin is the rivet/bolt that can be used to hold the raceways together. Then you have the kingpins castors. These will not have a kingpin, instead, everything is a single-piece construction and it has the potential to really work and help you quite a bit.

Mounting methods
Bolt hole castor wheels are the ones that will fit very well into the socket. The mounting place is suitable if you want to mount to things like flat services. Then you have the stem which doesn’t come with a threaded or non-threaded rod option.

Brake castors
These have a side brake that allows you to get the right braking from the side as needed. There’s also a total lock brake. This one is good if you want to fully stop the movement and it will do that very fast and easy.

Swivel radius
You can define the swivel radius is the circular measurement that you can use to identify the overall castor clearance. This is defined as the distance from the furthest castor point to the center of that swivel mechanism.

Castor wheel features
You want to know as much as possible when it comes to this kind of stuff, as it will help a lot. The RoHS compliance means that your castor wheels have compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances requirements.

NSF listed means that NSF international approved the castor wheels to be a part of the industry. The castor wheel manufacturer will also say they can be a low profile, which means there’s a small mount height, which is something you want to keep in mind.

Floor protective castor wheels have specific materials that will help protect the floor from damage. These are the best castors for a lot of people. It makes sense to work closely with the castor wheel manufacturer to ensure that you get these adequately.

Never flat castor wheels will use semi-pneumatic wheels and they are not going flat at all, which is something you want to keep in mind.

Knowing all these terms can really help a lot, it’s something very helpful and it has the potential to educate people regarding castor wheels. The more you know about castor wheels before you buy is very important, and the overall outcome can be well worth it!

Contact us today and know more about your castor wheel and how to chose the best castor!