Let casters roll "silently"—6 Key Dimensions of Noise-Reducing Design
Time：Sep 28,2025
In libraries, hospitals, luxury hotels, and high-end office buildings, a single caster wheel glides past you—its sound so soft, almost like a cat’s stealthy step. This isn’t by chance; it’s an intentional quietness "designed" into the product. But how can we eliminate those pesky "rumbling" and "clicking" noises at their very source? Below, we’ll break it down for you across six key dimensions.
1. The wheel itself: The material is "sound-absorbing foundation."
- Elastic materials take priority: polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), and synthetic rubber—equipped with built-in "shock-absorbing earplugs" that convert ground impacts into heat, dissipating the energy effectively.
- Hardness range of 80A–95A (Golden Zone): Too soft to push easily, yet too hard to provide adequate cushioning. Laboratory tests show that around 90A achieves noise reduction of 8–12 dB, while increasing rolling resistance by only 5%.
- Anti-aging formula: Includes UV stabilizers and antioxidants to prevent the material from becoming brittle and developing a "clicking" noise after one year.
2. Bearings & Axles: Making Rotation Smooth—So Quiet You Can't Hear It
-Precision bearings of P5 grade and higher, with radial clearance between 3–8 μm and preload force of ±2 N, ensuring absolutely no "ticking" noise.
- One-piece axle tube with cold-drawn steel: Coaxiality ≤ 0.02 mm, preventing eccentric wobbling.
- Choose the "silent" grease option: Replace traditional lithium-based grease with polyurea or synthetic hydrocarbon plus PTFE—this reduces the friction coefficient by 30% and lowers high-frequency noise by another 3 dB.
3. Steering Mechanism: The swivel can also "speak softly"
- Double-layer raceway + quenched steel balls: Rail surface Ra ≤ 0.4 μm, ball differential ≤ 2 μm, ensuring smooth steering without any "jarring" motion.
- Built-in sealing rings keep dust and fluff out, preventing the "grinding" squeak.
- Top composite damping pad: The momentary impact force during steering is absorbed by the "sponge"-like material, reducing noise peaks by 5–7 dB.
4. Installation Interface: Levelness ≈ Noise Reduction
- The top plate's flatness is within 0.05mm, achieved through single-pass CNC machining to eliminate "warping" resonance.
- Add a 0.5–1mm-thick soft gasket (PU/Nitrile Rubber) to cut off the vibration transmission path, effectively "laying down a soundproofing mat" under the floor slab.
5. Active Shock Absorption: Adding Another Layer of "Simmons" to the Impact
- Spring + rubber pad composite structure: The spring handles "large-stroke" energy absorption, while the rubber pad provides "high-frequency" vibration damping. Laboratory data shows that under a 100kg load traveling at 4 km/h over a speed bump, noise levels can be reduced from 68 dB down to 47 dB.
- Adjustable preload: Rotate the knob according to the equipment's weight, ensuring the shock absorber always operates at its optimal stroke—preventing both "harsh impacts" and "feeble performance."
6. Lubrication Management: Silence is "cultivated" through proper care
- Fully sealed-for-life lubricated bearings, requiring no maintenance for 5 years; however, for heavy-duty, high-temperature applications, an oiling nozzle is designed, allowing you to replenish 2g of specialized grease every 6 months.
- Color-coded management: Red cap = standard grease, blue cap = silent grease—clearly visible on-site to prevent workers from mistakenly adding "cheap butter" that could ruin the silent performance.
| Usage scenarios | Recommended Pair | Real-world noise reduction |
| Hospital bed | 100 mm PU wheel + P5 bearing + double-race swivel | 15 dB |
| Library book cart | 80 mm TPE wheels + sealed bearings + top plate shock-absorbing pads | 12 dB |
| Hotel luggage cart | 125 mm Polyurethane Shock-Absorbing Wheel + Spring Rubber Pad Composite | 18 dB |
| AGV Cart | 160 mm Elastic Wheel Surface + Precision Wheel Hub Bearings + Grease Fitting | Continuous < 45 dB |
Silent casters aren’t as simple as “just adding more lubricant”—they’re a systematic engineering challenge that spans materials, tolerances, design, and maintenance. Get all six dimensions right at once, and you’ll achieve a caster that “breathes” quietly—gliding silently behind you, leaving only an almost imperceptible whisper of sound.
Previous article
Next article
Previous article
Next article
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
Copyright©2024 FOSHAN Globe Caster Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved