Casters are used across several industries and in a variety of applications. The tool’s wide range of application necessitates an equally broad range of material and size options to better serve its intended use.
Choosing the wrong size caster can greatly affect not only its overall performance, efficiency, and usability, but also its safety in the field. To get the right size casters, it is important to consider several factors. These may include:
●Where the caster will be used or the terrain.
●The equipment the casters will be attached to.
●The load or weight it’s supposed to carry.
●Frequency of use.
Getting the Right Caster Size
To choose the right caster size, it is crucial to first learn how to measure casters and determine their correct size. The size of the top plate, the bolt hole pattern size, and swivel radius are important, however, caster sizes generally refer to the wheel size.
However, some sizes on online store catalogs don't pertain to just the wheel size, but the overall height. The overall height covers the entirety of the wheel diameter as well as the space between the wheel and the top plate. This is why it’s important to note whether the given measurement pertains to the overall height or caster size or simply the wheel diameter.
One helpful way to get the right caster size is to take a look at the most common size casters. As different industries have different uses for casters, there is no one-size-fits-all option for casters. This is also why there are various popular casters sizes, each for their own industry and application.
Check out some of the common size casters for four of the biggest industries that use caster wheels below.
Aerospace Industry
The aerospace industry is a highly specialized field that typically deals with extremely large and heavy loads. As such, casters used in the aerospace industry reflect that and are classified as heavy-duty or super-heavy duty casters.
Some of the most popular casters in aerospace application are those with 6-inch, 8-inch, and 10-inch wide wheels. Casters of this size can take on upwards of 4,000 pounds in total load capacity.
Six-inch heavy-duty aerospace casters usually have a top plate size of around 4 x 4.5 inches and an overall height of 7.5 inches. For 10 to 20-inch and above caster sizes, the overall height usually falls between 12.25 and 24.5 inches.
Data Centers
Casters used in data centers are usually light-duty casters or medium-duty casters. These types of casters are often used to carry items with a maximum load capacity of 500 lbs or up to 2,000 lbs.
For this industry, casters are typically attached to data servers, shelving, and racks. Stem-mount rigs and low-profile casters are two popular casters in the industry, with the most popular size casters being the following:
●Wheel diameter: 2 to 3 inches
●Overall height: Approximately 3 inches
Medical Industry
The most common size casters used in the medical industry are generally around the same as those in data centers for general applications in medical offices and IV poles or ventilators.
However, for more specialized uses like medical carts, the sizes may go up to 5-inch casters. Eight-inch caster sizes are also fairly used, especially for hospital beds and heavy equipment. These can have an overall height of 9.5 inches.
Stem-mount caster rigs are also widely used in the medical industry, giving the casters a higher overall height.
Food Service
Similar to the medical and data center industry, the food service industry mostly uses general or light-duty series of caster wheels. These typically have two to four inches wheel diameter. For these sizes of caster wheels, the top plate size is around 2 to 3/8 x 3 to 5/8 inches. Oven racks, in particular, often use 4-inch wide caster wheels with a 5-inch overall height.
Order Right Size Casters for Any Industry Today
LINCO offers a varied selection of caster sizes, from the most popular size casters to the least but still used sizes for several industries. Visit our website today to check out our online store inventory.
For any questions or size inquiries, reach out to our caster experts at (866) 306-9566 or contact us today.