Bearings play a crucial role in the construction of caster wheels. Bearings are meant to help reduce the amount of friction on the wheels. The less friction applied on the caster wheels, the more they can move freely. Bearings affect the ease of motion — both in terms of ease of effort to begin and the ease of maintaining the rolling action.
The types of caster bearings chosen affect the speed of the wheels in different ways. As a result, different caster bearing types offer unique advantages and have different recommended applications.
Below are some of the most common types of caster bearings available in the LINCO online shop.
Roller Bearing
This type of bearing uses cylindrical rolling elements. It also features a sleeve that encases the entire roller bearing to prevent dirt and debris from getting inside, though it isn’t water-resistant.
Roller bearings are the most popular type of bearings for casters. The main advantage roller bearings offer is the ability to self-align, which helps prevent mounting issues due to misalignment. In turn, this helps boost the durability of the caster
Annular Ball Bearing
Annular ball bearings are cylindrical in shape as well. They are a type of precision bearing recommended for light to medium applications.
The main advantage of annular ball bearings is their high ease of rollability and minimal noise, making them ideal for use in the hospitality industry. Another advantage they offer is the lack of need for maintenance.
Delrin Acetal Bearing
Often simply referred to as Delrin, this type of bearing is a registered trademark of DuPont. It’s made of lightweight DuPont acetal resin, making it highly durable even under extreme temperature conditions.
Another big advantage of Delrin bearings is their high resistance to corrosion and chemicals. This makes caster wheels with Delrin bearings ideal for use in industries that involve excessive water or liquids, brine conditions, and steam.
Precision Sealed Ball Bearing
Precision sealed ball bearings feature an outer rubber shield surrounding the ball bearings. The protection they offer means there is no need for any maintenance or regular lubrication. Precision ball bearings are highly recommended bearings for casters that require quiet operations.
Additionally, this type of caster bearing is meant for medium to heavy-duty loads and ergonomic caster wheels.
Pedestal Ball Bearing
Pedestal ball bearings have the advantage of providing both ease of rollability and noise reduction. Similar to precision ball bearings, pedestal ball bearings also do not require maintenance. Pedestal ball bearings can also withstand high operating temperatures and are easy to install.
However, pedestal ball bearings are generally not meant for heavy loads.
Bronze Bearing
In terms of wide temperature range compatibility, bronze bearings are often the most recommended, thanks to their high durability. Bronze caster bearings can usually endure temperatures of up to 525°F.
This particular caster bearing type also boasts corrosion resistance, due to bronze’s lack of porosity. As such, it’s an ideal type of caster bearing for applications involving both high heat and wet environments.
Moreover, bronze bearings that come with spanner bushing offer greater weight or load capacity and strength.
Plain and Sleeve Bearing
Plain and sleeve bearings for casters are essentially plain bearings that feature a metal sleeve. When inserted into the wheel, this sleeve rests directly on the wheel axle. The sleeve helps absorb vibration, which also helps keep noise down.
This type of caster bearing is generally only recommended for applications where rolling ease is not a critical requirement. Instead, plain and sleeve bearings offer the following advantages: economical cost, high load capacity, and easy installation.
Shop LINCO for Casters With High-Quality Bearings
LINCO offers premium casters for different applications and industries — all made with a variety of high-quality bearings. Our online shop catalog also includes casters from other reliable caster manufacturers, such as Colson, which is known not only for the premium quality of its caster wheels but also for the wide range of caster bearings it uses.
For assistance with choosing casters or placing bulk orders, please call 866-306-9566 or send us a message.