How to check the loading capacity of caster wheels?

Coloured rubber uses alternative fillers, such as silica. The rubber compound will usually be approx. 60-70% raw rubber and 30-40% filler. Carbon black particles and raw rubber atoms are bound by a chemical reaction that creates a mechanical bond between the two parts.

Polyurethane material is a synthetic material that is produced by the chemical reaction of various elements. While other additives can be mixed with polyurethane to enhance properties, the composition of the material provides an extremely high proportion of pure polyurethane in 95% of the area.

While both materials have good levels of wear and abrasion resistance, and they have a service life of many years, polyurethane generally has a high level of resistance to abrasion and abrasion, and is 2-3 times higher under controlled tests. Life can happen.

The primary reason for this is due to the high concentration of pure polyurethane in polyurethane casters. On the other hand, a 60/40% mixture of rubber caster wheels provides many molecular attachments that can be damaged under friction. With rubber casters, in the form of friction, stress is placed on the nuclear joints between raw rubber and carbon black, which in turn can lead to connection failure as a result of rubber wear.

Wear and abrasion resistance

Similar to wear and abrasion, the material of rubber casters and polyurethane casters play an important role in the construction known as “cutting and chunking” resistance. This material has the resistance of the material to “cut”, or “pieces” of torn material when affected by obstacles and foreign objects.

This is where the rubber formulation caster wheels Australia can play a role in resistance to cutting and chunking. High quality rubber compounds with a higher percentage of raw rubber, and carbon black fillers with smaller particle sizes provide significantly better resistance than raw rubber and / or a smaller percentage of larger carbon black particles.

Of course, reducing the percentage of rubber or using carbon black at a lower cost (larger particle size) can reduce the cost of the finished product, but at the same time reduce the performance of the wheel.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult for a non-professional to determine whether the rubber is high or low grade after all, they generally look the same regardless of the blend. It is therefore important that the customer finds a reputable supplier and considers the cost of purchasing a high-quality product.

Cutting and chunking resistance

Standard rubber casters are made using carbon black filler (as discussed above). Unfortunately, it will mark carbon black floors, especially wood and tiled floors and is therefore not suitable for applications where floor marking properties are important.

Rubber with a lower raw rubber content will be relatively easily cut or fractured, and once cut it will gradually expand each time a force is applied to a specific area. In contrast, high quality rubber coasters will be more resistant to stings, although they will still propagate over time.

Polyurethane is a tough material by nature, and chemically, it bonds with great stability. However, the material will still break under excessive force, and cuts may also be visible. Large gaps for rubber usually will not spread the cut and while it will mostly disintegrate over time, will provide a much longer life than rubber.