Advantages of Non Marking Casters Wheels

Polyurethane Shopping Cart Wheel

There are several types of wheels that are non marking and choosing the right one for you can be a challenge. We are here to help, while non marking caster wheels have some great advantages they have some deficiencies as well and depending on the wheel material they have different characteristics. 

Polyurethane Wheels
Polyurethane wheels are a great non marking wheel with great rolling, wear and abrasion resistance characteristics, they also offer some cushioning.
These wheels can handle more weight than a rubber wheel and are less affected by the elements / weather and can handle rough surfaces, like concrete and asphalt and still protect a smooth painted or finished flooring. For these reasons grocery stores use polyurethane on there shopping cart casters as well as heavy duty industrial will use a polyurethane tread on their carts and equipment if they need to protect a floor.

Albion XS Gray Rubber Wheel

Rubber Wheels
Rubber wheels are not all non marking, black rubber will usually leave skid marks but will protect a floors finish. For a truly non marking rubber wheel, we suggest "Soft Gray Rubber". This wheel still has decent weight capacities but have excellent cushioning wear resistance, along with quiet smooth rolling operation. these will wear more quickly that the polyurethane but is much quieter. These are often seen on hospital carts and equipment, laboratories, food processing plants and even Home Depot and Lowes use a soft rubber wheel on some of there larger dollies and lumber carts to avoid excessive noise. Some great, commonly used wheels are the BuyCasters Xtra Soft Rubber, the Albion XS Wheel and the Colson Performa wheels. All are excellent quality, come in a variety of sizes and offer the floor protection you will need. 

What ever your needs we can keep you rolling at Buy Casters, call toll free if you have any questions about what caster or wheel is right for you! 
1-855-943-3511 (1-855-WHEEL11)

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.