Specialty Stem Casters
The majority of casters available to the market today can be used across a variety of applications. A light duty caster could be used on a chair, or a store display. An institutional caster could be used on a stock cart, but could also be used on a medical table. A heavy duty caster might be found on a dolly, or it might be found on a million-dollar piece of automation machinery. This list could go on and on, but the point is that many caster applications might have the same caster solution. This is great because it makes it easy to find a caster that will do the job. Sometimes, however, a caster solution is extremely specific to an application, and there is really only one caster that does the job. A couple examples are scaffolding casters and cart-specific casters.
Scaffolding casters like the one shown below have the very important job of allowing scaffolding used for painting, construction, and more to be mobile when needed, and securely “locked down” when needed. Since scaffolding allows users to work, at times, multiple stories off the ground, having a secure mobility system is a without question of the utmost importance to maintain safety. Scaffolding casters use heavy duty frames and swivel raceways that can hold several hundred pounds each, a large (1″ to 1-3/8″) diameter stem that will not bend or fail easily, and a total lock brake, which locks the wheel and swivel at the same time. With all of these special features combined, there really is no substitute for a scaffolding caster.
Another example of an application-specific caster is the square stem caster shown in the picture below. This one is made for a Lakeside cart, and it uses a small diameter square stem with a couple cross-drilled holes in it to allow it to be fastened to a one-of-a-kind food service cart. You may find other square stem casters, but not with this very specific stem size. This particular caster has a stainless steel frame and wheel hardware to prevent rust and corrosion. Standard zinc-plated options are also available for this caster.
So when you are searching for a specific caster for your application, save time and energy and work with a caster expert like the sales staff at C.E. Clarke & Son, Inc. Call us at 1-800-325-2753, email us by clicking HERE, shop online HERE, or come by our Richmond, VA showroom. There a plenty of companies who can sell you casters, why not go to one who will sell you the RIGHT caster?