Wheel selection guide

This guide below will help you have good knowledge in choosing the right wheel's material. Honestly, each material have its own strength and weakness ~ no material either perfect or superior than others. Wheel materials can be categorized into three large types: rubber, plastic and metal.

1. Rubber wheels

Rubber wheels are often cushion, shock absorbing and noise reduction. The load capacity of rubber wheels are much less than plastic wheel, average load capacity of rubber wheels should be around 10 - 300kg per wheel. If properly use, the rubber wheels should have better life time than PU, can be last for 2 - 5 years working. However the rubber wheels are weak against gas, oil, grease and chemicals as they will break the rubber's component thus deform or even destroy the rubber. Rubber wheels have some main lines as follow:

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Natural rubberArtificial rubberThermoplastic rubber (TPR)

Natural rubber: Thanks to big local rubber supply, the natural rubber wheel are very popular in Vietnam. These wheels are affordable, but still offer good floor protection and noise reduction. Natural rubber wheels can become brittle over time, and more so when exposed to outdoor elements. Natural rubber wheels can crack when dropped from limited heights or subjected to impact or shock.

Artificial rubber: are specially engineered to provide unsurpassed durability and reliability. These wheels are cushion but also strong, durable, great wear and tear resistant (much better than the natural rubber wheels). In Vietnam, most of artificial rubbers wheel are imported. Catching the trend, now our domestic manufacturers are working hard to develop and did release some new Series successful.

Thermoplastic rubber (TPR): is another material commonly used in wheel surfaces, including medical and industrial casters. The main advantage of a TPR wheel surface is its elasticity, which gives it good shock-absorbing properties while in motion. This makes TPR the ideal material for medical equipment caster wheels. However, due to a softer wheel surfaces, TPR has a slightly lower loading capacity than PU. In addition, TPR wheel surfaces may gradually deform and consequently affect caster function if left stationary for prolonged periods under heavy loading.

Special rubber wheels:

Pneumatic rubber wheel: offer optimum floor protection and move freely over obstructions and rough floors. Pneumatic wheels provide smooth, shock resistant operation for delicate instruments and breakable components. Pneumatic Wheels can be used for both indoor and outdoor applications where product protection is required. They are excellent for use on carts and platform trucks for industrial commercial and institutional applications requiring a cushioned ride. Pneumatic wheels are great for carrying electronics, sound and lighting equipment, glass, ceramics, chemicals, fragile retail goods and as an all around good wheel on general duty carts for almost all light and medium duty applications. Pneumatic Wheels are great for use on carts traveling on uneven floors and capable of rolling on different terrain such as cement, asphalt, dirt, gravel, rock or grass. Common wheels used on equipment like luggage carts, hand trucks, dollies, generators, compressors, pressure washers, diagnostic equipment, tool boxes, and a great variety of lawn and garden equipment, like snow blowers, tillers, fertilizers, lawn mowers and wheelbarrows.

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Electric conductive: Electric conductive wheels are mainly used in advanced medical equipment and the technology industry. Available in PU and TPR, Electric conductive wheels comply with international standards (103 ~ 105 ohm/sq). These wheels are ideal for medical devices, trolleys and hospital beds which are fitted with precision electronic instruments and frequently moved. Electric conductive wheels conduct electricity emanating from electronic devices to the floor, ensuring patient safety and protecting equipment.

2. Plastic wheels

Plastic wheels have high load capacity (10 - 1.000+ kg per wheel) and generally resist to gas, oil, grease and light chemicals. The most popular plastic is Polyurethane (PU) and Nylon:

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PA (Nylon 6)PU with iron coreHeat resistant

Nylon: Nylon is generally used in industrial casters, due to its hardness, high loading capacity and long life - it can last few decades. However, nylon wheels create noise while moving on floor surfaces, making them unsuitable for using in hospitals and other environments where quiet is required.

Polyurethane (PU): Polyurethane (PU) is used in a wide variety of wheel surfaces, including medical and industrial casters, due to its excellent durability and high loading capacity. PU casters also feature precision ball bearings, ensuring perfectly smooth, silent movement. These casters will not leaving marks on floor surfaces, even under heavy loading. However, PU has weaker hydrolytic stability. As a result, the durability of PU wheels may be affected by humid environments, along with the cleaning chemicals and high temperature steam sterilization processes regularly used in hospitals. In addition, a PU surfaces will gradually harden and degrade if kept in a cold environment (<0° Celsius) for long periods of time. As aging PU will gradually loose its physical strength, PU life time is about 2 - 4 years even unused (!).

Heat resistant: are very popular wheels used in a wide range of industrial applications including manufacturing, warehousing and bakeries. They are capable of withstanding heat ranges from -20 to 200° Celsius. The wheels are said to have great water and chemical resistance.

3. Metal wheels

Rarely used, metal wheels are thick, heavy but very strong and durable:

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Cast-ironStainless steel

Extremely long wearing. These wheels provide excellent resistance to shock and are a good choice for heavy loads in manufacturing and warehousing, especially on rough concrete, wood block and other rough surface conditions. These metal wheels can withstand high temperatures and exposure to water or the environment, but they will rust over time. Metal wheels can also withstand exposure to chemicals, grease, oils, etc.

4. Comparison chart

a. Wheel selection guide chart

The chart is designed to provide the user with a general comparison of Hao Phong's wheel types under a variety of floor surface and operating condition. For specific applications or unusual conditions, please consult our staff or sales agent:

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b. Durometer scale (Hardness)

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