What is a Caster and where are they used?

Look around casters are every where there is rarely a industry that doesn't used casters and wheels in some aspect. Hospitals, grocery stores, offices, industrial plants, delivery and warehouses, laboratories, industrial plants & your home, just to name a few. 

A caster (or castor) is an un-driven (non motorized), single, double, or compound wheel attached to a swivel or rigid caster fork. They are designed to be mounted to the bottom of a larger object, like a cart, dolly, display, furniture or equipment, so as to enable that object to be easily moved. They are available in various sizes, and are commonly made of steel, rubber, polyurethane, plastic, nylon, aluminum, or stainless steel.
Casters are found in numerous applications, including shopping carts, office chairs, and material handling equipment. High capacity, heavy duty casters are used in many industrial applications, such as platform trucks, carts, assemblies, and tow lines in plants. Generally, casters operate well on smooth and flat surfaces. There are options like pneumatic casters that are air filled that will work well on all surfaces and absorb bumps and cracks.

There three most common casters types are as followed...

Rigid Caster                             Swivel Caster 

Rigid Casters: A wheel mounted to a stationary fork with an axle and nut that allows the cart or equipment to roll but will restrict lateral movement.

Swivel Casters: Similar to the rigid in that it is a wheel mounted to a fork, but the swivel will have a pivot to allow the wheel to rotate freely to help with movement and steering.

Locking Caster: Locking casters are usually but not always swivel. These casters are equipped with a brake mechanism to prevent the wheel from rolling when activated.