Wheels

Wheels come in a large variety of different materials, often a combination of multiple materials. This is to suit the wide variety of industry applications, surfaces, load capacities, and functions that are required.

Associating the wheel material with its suitability for different floor surfaces and applications is very important.

Below are the most common types of wheels. If you do not see what you are looking for, just contact one of our knowledgeable staff for further information.

Rubber Wheels

There are a few variations of rubber wheels, but they all have some common features:

• Non-marking (doesn’t leave marks on your floor)
• Shock absorbing
• Quiet
• Ideal for timber, carpet, vinyl, tiled, and concrete flooring

Rebound Rubber wheels are very quiet in operation, with a low rolling resistance. They are ideal for moving lightly loaded equipment over uneven ground. Rebound rubber rolls over small obstructions easily. Some application examples include waste bins, laundry trolleys, electrical equipment, and other “handle with care” goods.

Institutional Rubber wheels are grey rubber wheels. Features include sealed bearings and matching grey nylon thread guards for added protection. Sealed bearings eliminate any need for maintenance. Often used in hospitals, schools, home use, and light industrial environments.

Anti-static (conductive) rubber wheels provide a surface resistivity of less than 10,000 Ω (OHMs) – conforming to Australian Standards (AS 2050 1978). Anti-static (conductive) wheels allow electricity to flow through the unit, eliminating static charges. This function is often required for use within industries such as computer or electronics manufacturing or general service.

Note: Anti-static (conductive) is superior to wheels that are just anti-static. Anti-static will help negate static electricity and prevent its build up, but conductive anti-static will eliminate it altogether.

Polyurethane Wheels

• Hard wearing
• Most well-rounded performer across all floor surfaces
• Longer tread life than rubber
• Quiet operation
• Low rolling resistance
• Non-marking
• Offers excellent floor protection on linoleum, tile, and carpet

Polyurethane wheels come in many colours and consist of either entirely polyurethane or a combination of a polyurethane outer with a centre of nylon, or metal such as aluminium or iron.

When the polyurethane wheel has a metal centre, it has anti-static (conductive) properties, eliminating static charges. This function is often required for use within industries such as computer or electronics manufacturing or general service.

Wheels made entirely of polyurethane can withstand water, oil, grease, chemicals, and most solvents. They are suitable for medical or food applications. They are also used on the outside layer of the toughest castor wheels with load capacities in excess of 10 tonnes!

Rebound Polyurethane wheels are a softer than normal tyre, which provides a smoother, quieter ride than most polyurethane or nylon wheels.   They will remain cleaner than other wheels, and combined with stainless steel bearings, these wheels are suitable for clean or wash down rooms and other applications where aesthetics and performance are crucial.

Nylon Wheels

Nylon wheel varieties share some common traits:

• Low rolling resistance
• Durable
• Non-marking
• Ideal for hard, smooth surfaces and outside/wet environments
• Often used in refrigerated areas

Glass Filled Nylon – Extreme Temperature Resistance

These wheels are made from a blend of nylon and glass fibres and are specifically designed to withstand high and low temperatures.

At AdMerch, our glass filled nylon wheels can comfortably endure temperatures between -30ᵒC and 240ᵒC. Cast iron and aluminium wheels offer higher temperature resistance, explained further below.

Glass filled nylon is resilient, gentle and quiet on most floor surfaces, resists hard impacts, and very durable and resistant to oils, greases and cleaning agents.

The addition of glass fibres to nylon also increases overall strength when compared to regular nylon.

Note: Glass filled nylon may cause some small marks and scratches on both softer and hard surfaces. Not recommended for surfaces intended to be on display to customers.  

Cast iron – Extreme Temperature Resistance

• Abrasion resistant – wheels are exceptionally long wearing
• Low rolling resistance
• Extreme heat resistance
• High load capacity
• Will damage or mark floors

Cast iron and spheroidal graphite iron wheels provide high load capacities and are easy to initiate movement.

Extreme temperature resistance between -30ᵒC and 300ᵒC – suitable for use in bakery ovens, smoke houses, chillers, and other applications where there is temperature fluctuation.

These wheels are quite heavy and noisy, usually only found in heavy duty industrial environments.

Aluminium – Extreme Temperature Resistance

• The highest temperature resistance (on some models)
• Slightly lower weight capacity compared to cast iron
• Noiseless options
• Suitable for use in bakery ovens, smoke houses, chillers, and other applications where there is temperature fluctuation.

Aluminium wheels sold at AdMerch have the highest temperature resistance – a massive 400ᵒC! (Refer to each individual wheel for maximum temperate as temperature range varies between 280ᵒC and 400ᵒC).

The minimum temperature resistance is -30ᵒC. Aluminium wheels are usually specifically used when dealing with extreme temperatures.

Pneumatic Wheels

Pneumatic wheels are ideal for use on agricultural equipment, and for making sports equipment such as batting cages, nets and equipment trolleys more mobile on soft ground.

AdMerch also have puncture proof options – no more flats!

I have created a handy table that can allow you to quickly get an idea of the types of wheels you should be looking for.

This table is an approximate guide only, always refer to individual product information before making a purchase.

**Refer to above notes (3. What types of wheels are available?) for further information.

Other important factors to consider when thinking floor surfaces:

• Harder wheels require less effort to start turning on smooth surfaces – think polyurethane and nylon
• For lower push effort over rough ground (asphalt, dirt), choose high resilience wheels such as rebound rubber or pneumatics
• Nylon or polyurethane wheels are more suitable for dirty floors as they resist dirt particles
• Domed-tyred wheels require less force to roll on carpeting, but will leave indentations if they are left stationary on carpets and softer surfaces
• Flat profiled wheels will spread the load and prevent damage to floors, even when moving heavier loads
• Rebound and institutional rubber is not recommended in corrosive environment. Polyurethane is very resistant and almost impervious to most solvents and chemicals.

The most common bearing you will come across is the ball bearing. But there are other bearings which are ideal for specific applications, so they might more accurately meet your requirements.

Ball bearings are used in applications where heat can build up due to friction, because they have the lowest friction. This also means they are the easiest to get moving.

At AdMerch, precision deep groove ball bearings are fitted to most of our heavy duty wheels. Such wheels have very low rolling resistance and are normally provided with double seal bearings that in most cases will never need maintenance. If the application required regular greasing, grease nipples can be fitted.

Roller bearings are used in high-impact applications (including frequent shock and vibration). Roller bearings are not suitable for high speeds (more than 6 kph), and if kept well-greased they can cope with some dirt or water. They can handle high load capacities and are suitable for heavy duty applications.

Taper roller bearings are the best choice for power towing applications, and have the highest carrying capacity – they are used for super heavy duty applications. Unless you are in big industry, you are unlikely to need these bearings.

Plain bearings are suitable for lighter loads where rolling resistance is not as important. They are highly resistant to chemicals and high heat conditions. Always the best choice in corrosive, high heat or very wet conditions where better bearings would not survive.

Bronze bearings are a type of plain bearing (also suited to extreme temperature conditions, and corrosion resistant). They are highly recommended for high heat or wet applications, and are self-lubricating – no maintenance required.

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And there you have it – 4 easy steps to take when choosing a wheel.