Application Instructions for Casters in Food Workshop
Time：Sep 06,2025
1. First, assign them a position
In the workshop, raw materials, semi-finished products, and tools are moved around all day. Without casters, everything has to be carried on shoulders or lifted by hand; with four reliable wheels installed, one person can push several hundred kilograms. The obvious benefit is labor saving, but the hidden benefits are even greater—reducing bumps, shortening downtime, and making the entire production line smoother.
2. Two basic types, enough is enough
Swivel casters: The bracket can rotate 360°, making direction changes easier, suitable for the rear end to "follow direction."
Fixed casters: No steering mechanism, can only move in a straight line, placed at the front to "lead direction."
The common combination of "two fixed casters in front + two swivel casters in back" offers the best cost performance; if the floor is sloped or parking is needed at any time, add a pedal brake to the swivel casters.
3. Take it apart, a wheel consists of just a few parts
Tire (nylon, PU, rubber, stainless steel) + bearing (ball or needle) + dust cover + locking nut, all mounted on a stamped or cast steel bracket. Inside the bracket is a ring of small steel balls called the "raceway," which determines how smoothly the wheel turns. In cold storage environments, replace the steel balls with stainless steel or use fully nylon sealed bearings to prevent condensation from freezing.
4. Special scenarios, how to choose materials
Cold storage at -20°C: choose nylon wheels, replace bearings with stainless steel, and use low-temperature antifreeze grease.
Steam oven outlet above 80°C: use high-temperature resistant nylon or all stainless steel wheels to avoid PU wheels softening and delaminating.
Daily high-pressure washing: brackets must be 304 stainless steel, screws must be non-magnetic to prevent rusty metal debris from contaminating products.
5. To make wheels last longer, first do these three things right
(1) Buy the right load capacity
The "single wheel rated load" on the manufacturer's label is tested on ideal flat surfaces. Food workshop floors often have seams, mats, and debris, so actual load capacity should be reduced by 30%. Simple formula: gross weight of goods × 1.5 ÷ number of wheels = minimum rated load per wheel.
(2) Floor and route
Replace thresholds with ramps, expand right-angle passages into curves—this saves more money than buying expensive wheels. A "floor inspection" five minutes before the end of each shift—picking up broken pallets, plastic films, metal debris—can double wheel life.
(3) Lubrication and cleaning
Grease inside bearings attracts flour, powdered sugar, and threads, forming an abrasive paste that wears the bearing sleeve into an oval shape. Once a month, remove the wheels, rinse off old grease with food-grade cleaner, and reapply NSF H1 certified grease. It takes less than ten minutes but saves the cost of a batch of new wheels.
6. Finally, make safety part of daily routine
Conduct a "no-load rolling test" every quarter: on the same slope, the cart should roll as far as last month; if it slows noticeably, the bearing or steel balls are rusting.
Replace brake pads when worn more than 1 mm, otherwise the cart will "roll away" when parked, hitting filling or sealing machines, and repair costs can be hundreds of times the cost of wheels.
Establish a "wheel file": record purchase date, load limit, and maintenance records. It may seem tedious, but when auditors or customers come for factory inspections, having the files ready is more effective than any verbal explanation.
Though small, casters are the last link in the "handling system." Treating them as consumables and replacing them yearly is a cost; treating them as equipment, selecting and maintaining them carefully, is an investment. The difference is just asking one more question on the purchase order and writing one more line on the maintenance sheet, but the return is two fewer minutes of production line downtime and one less product complaint—this calculation is clear to everyone in the workshop.
Sweep the attention
Universal Caster
FOSHAN Globe Caster Co., Ltd.
Telephone: 86-757-86692299
Mobile:86-137 0966 5707
E-mail:sales@globe-castor.com
Fax: 86-757-86690681
Website:www.globe-castor.com
Address: 599 Yangxi Avenue, Yanghe Town, Gaoming District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China
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